protest

Demonstration in Taipei Sunday in support of Hong Kong democracy activists detained in China

poster for protests against detention of democracy activists
Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Human rights groups are organizing a demonstration to be held in Taipei City, Sunday, October 25, in support of 12 Hong Kong democracy activists who are being held in China after attempting to flee to Taiwan by sea, August 23. The Taiwan Human Rights Promotion Association, the Civil Justice Reform Foundation, and other civil rights groups are organizing the Taiwan Supports Hong Kong Parade. Organizers have called on supporters to gather at 2:00 pm, October 25, at SOGO Square, outside

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Protesters Clash with Police over Labor Law Reform

protesters clash with police of labor law reforms
Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

[Picture: United Daily News] Protesters gathered outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei City today as the Social and Economic Committee of the Legislative Yuan and the Economic Commission continued to review revisions of the Labor Standards Act. At close to noon protesters charged the police line and clashes ensued. Shortly after, a second wave managed to break through, and a group of protesters occupied the front steps, sitting down and hooking arms to form a human chain. Serious conflict broke

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Lawmakers Run the Gauntlet to Get Inside Barricades

Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

[Cover Picture: United Daily News] Legislators, staff, media, and observers struggled to get through protesters and barricades to enter the Legislative Yuan where the ruling Democratic Progressive Party will attempt to make a final review of a pension reform bill. DPP Secures the Podium DPP members made an early start and entered the conference room at around 7:00am to prevent the opposition KMT from occupying the podium. Political battles in the legislature frequently result in physical fights to control the

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Razor-wire Barricades Go Up: Government Prepares for Siege

barricades erected in Taipei ahead of expect protests over a pension reform bill
Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

[Cover Picture: United Daily News] Live Broadcast of Protests April 19 A district of Taipei containing the Presidential Palace, Executive Yuan, and Legislative Yuan is surrounded by razor-wire barricades as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party prepares to bring a pension reform bill for a final reading in the legislature. The reform bill, which President Tsai Ing-wen says is necessary to prevent the pension system’s imminent financial collapse, is opposed by retired public servants including military and police, and anti-reform groups

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Principal Calls Cops on Student Protestors

protest banners unfurled during an event at Taiwan Normal University High School April 9, 2017
Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

[cover picture: Liberty Times Network] School administrators at a high school in Taipei City called police after students unfurled banners and cut off the microphone while the principal was making a speech at a 70th anniversary event on Sunday, April 9. Police declined to press charges, and the Ministry of Education said that calling police to the campus was inappropriate. The ministry said that school administrators should communicate with the student offenders and use the incident as an opportunity to

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People Injured in Worker’s Protest

Business and Economy Protest 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Sixty people, including police and reporters were injured during a protest in Changhua County when protesters clashed with police over the closing down of a chemical plant. Workers at the Formosa Plastics Group factory are facing unemployment after the Changhua County Environmental Protection Agency refused to renew the plant’s operating license. Seven people required treatment at a local hospital after the clash, including a police officer who suffered a fractured finger. A news reporter was also injured. Protesters hurled full

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Protesters Unfurl “Taiwan is Not Chinese Taipei” Banner: Chinese Team Refuses to Play

protesters hang a banner stating that Taiwan is not Chinese Taipei in front of the Chinese team at a match in Pingtung County
Protest Sport 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A Little League Baseball match in Pingtung County was delayed after protesters held up banners that read “Taiwan is not Chinese Taipei”. The Chinese team refused to play until the banners were removed. This year Taiwan is hosting the Asia Pacific LLB competition. The match between Taiwan and China was due to start at 2PM.

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Vietnam Activists Call for Protests over Fishkill: Obama Petitioned

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan speaks during a press briefing over an environmental crisis concerning mass fish deaths in central Vietnam on April 27, 2016.
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 4 Comments , , ,

Environmental and social activists in Vietnam are calling for protests May 1 after a massive fish-kill, and the government’s failure to act against industrial giant Formosa Plastics Group. While the Vietnam government claimed Wednesday that they have no proof the environmental disaster was linked to the Formosa Group’s steel mill in Ha Tinh Province, they have called for the company to dig up an illegal pipeline that citizens believe discharged toxic chemicals into the ocean. The government has also sent

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Student Protesters and Reporters arrested after Occupying the Ministry of Education

Students are shown handcuffed after protesting against ideologically-driven changes to the national curriculum
Politics 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , , , ,

Protests intensified last night over controversial changes to the national curriculum. High schoolers and other students were joined by other members of the community after the Ministry of Education defied a court decision that deemed the changes illegal and insisted on rolling out new textbooks that redefine the Japanese colonial period as the period of Japanese occupation, and re-introduces a Sinocentric version of history in Taiwan. Thirty-three people were arrested, including 3 reporters after they entered the MOE building late last night. The

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One Man Against the World

Politics 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Most of my stories are pulled from Taiwan’s Chinese-language media, however, this is one I eye-witnessed, on my way to buy breakfast this morning. In our quiet, and peaceful neighborhood of Shulin I turned a corner and and unexpectedly came across a small crowd of officials, curious citizens, and police. An old, single-storey house was festooned with two American flags, one at ground level and one on the roof, and adorned with roughly spray-painted Chinese characters. My Chinese literacy is far

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