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Flash mob protest draws a
questionable reaction
By Huang Chung-jung and Tang Chia-ling / Staff reporters
Ke Yi-cheng smiles during a press
conference in Taipei on March 14 for the Green Ray Theater’s production of The
Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?
Photo: Wang Wen-lin, Taipei Times
Renowned theater director Ke Yi-cheng
(柯一正) has reportedly been placed under investigation by the Tax Bureau and
accused by the police of having violated the Public Safety Act (公共危險罪), after
leading an anti-nuclear flash mob in front of the Presidential Office last
month.
The director initiated the “I’m a Man! I’m Anti-Nuclear!” event on Facebook,
which drew 60 activists for a quick protest in front of the Presidential Office
on May 28. Ke Yi-cheng and the others lay down on the Ketagelan Boulevard and
formed the Chinese character man (人) for 30 seconds, then shouted: “I’m a man,
I’m Anti-nuclear!” before dispersing.
Ke Yi-cheng’s son, actor Lawrence Ko (柯宇綸), said on Facebook yesterday that his
father’s company was now under investigation by the Tax Bureau and that he has
been told to report to the police next week for allegedly violating the Public
Safety Act.
“This is the Taiwanese government, what a shady national apparatus,” Lawrence Ko
said.
“What about letting US beef into the country, restarting the Second Nuclear
Power Plant and taking over the Meiliwan area? Aren’t those violations of public
safety?” he added, referring to the plan to ease the ban on US beef imports with
ractopamine residue, the controversy over the nuclear plant after the discovery
that some bolts in the first reactor were broken and the controversial
development by the Meiliwan Resort Hotel, which is still under construction
despite a court ruling ordering a halt to the work.
Ke Yi-cheng said he would not ignore the police summons and would tell them that
what he did was “for your children as well. The events will not cease and
everyone will only be more determined.”
Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) asked
whether police had nothing better to do or if they were trying to get on
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) good side.
Saying Ke Yi-cheng had led three similar protests and yet the police only
singled out the one staged in front of the Presidential Office, Chien said she
didn’t know if it was a case of Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) trying to pander
to Ma.
The event was over in 30 seconds, there was no traffic at the time and the event
did not obstruct traffic, Chien said, adding that the flash mob fell under the
constitutionally protected freedom of speech.
“Are the prosecutors trying to use the case to scare other people in the arts to
stop them from caring about public issues?” she said.
Tsuei Su-hsin (崔愫欣), secretary-general of the Green Citizen Action Alliance,
said she was surprised Ke Yi-cheng had been called in over the event. Tsuei said
her association and other organizations had held an anti-nuclear protest in
front of the Taipei Municipal First Girls’ Senior High School on May 29, but
they were not called in for questioning.
There were many policemen around on that day, she said, adding that police had
privately said Ke Yi-cheng’s protest the day before made the Presidential Office
lose face, so more police had been deployed.
Additional reporting by Chao Ching-yu Translated by Jake Chung, staff writer
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