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Anti-Ma protests
scheduled for Sept. 29
POWER TO THE PEOPLE: The demonstrations will not
serve as a platform for certain politicians or celebrities, but will give the
public a chance to speak out, organizers said
By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter
Members of several civic groups
make gestures during a press conference in Taipei yesterday to drum up support
for a series of demonstrations against President Ma Ying-jeou scheduled for
Sept. 29, the same day the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is to hold its 19th
National Congress.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Several civic groups have called on the
public to join demonstrations against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Sept. 29
as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) holds its 19th National Congress in
Taipei.
“We hereby invite all citizens who are dissatisfied with the government or
unhappy with our national leader to stand up and voice their frustrations on
Sept. 29,” journalist Ge Shu-jen (葛樹人) told a news conference in Taipei
yesterday.
“We need some force to move our society forward,” Ge added.
The demonstration organized by Ge is to include a march from the intersection of
Renai and Anhe roads, near the MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua station in Taipei, followed
by a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office.
Although the demonstration would call on Ma to step down as KMT chairman and to
apologize as the president, Ge said that he does not want to take sides in the
recent political row between Ma and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
“We will not invite any politicians or celebrities to take the podium. Rather,
every citizen taking part in the demonstration will be given a minute to speak
on stage,” Ge said.
Meanwhile, the National Alliance for Workers of Closed Factories will also stage
a protest outside the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, where the KMT’s
National Congress is to take place.
To promote the event, members of the alliance have given out moon cakes and
pomelos on the streets of Taipei.
“Besides workers, activists against urban renewal projects and land
expropriations, as well as some of the victims of such projects will take part,”
alliance spokeswoman Chen Hsiu-lien (陳秀蓮) said.
“We will wear black and march around Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall while holding
placards with the Chinese character for ‘fuck,’” she said.
In the south of the nation, the Southern Taiwan Society — along with several
other groups — are also slated to organize a rally against Ma in Kaohsiung on
Sept. 29.
Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) and Taiwan Nation
Alliance president Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) said yesterday that their respective
organizations would invite members and supporters to take part in demonstrations
against Ma.
“Different groups are organizing anti-Ma protests on Sept. 29 with different
appeals. These events aim to show how dissatisfied Taiwanese are with the Ma
administration’s performance and policies,” Lin said.
“Unfortunately, Ma never contemplates what he is doing wrong and how he is
upsetting the public,” Lin added.
Yao said Ma was misinterpreting his role as president.
“As president, Ma should defend the nation’s sovereignty, protect the public and
improve the nation’s economy so that Taiwanese may have better lives,” Yao said.
“Unfortunately, Ma insists on taking Taiwan toward unification with China,” Yao
added.
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