Close to 80,000 protesters gather outside Legislative Yuan against KMT-TPP bills

Close to 80,000 protesters gather outside Legislative Yuan against KMT-TPP bills

2024-05-24

And outside the Legislative Yuan, a large crowd gathered during the day to protest the bills, with an estimated 80,000 people as of 8 p.m. Many in the crowd were high school students, some of whom had taken leave from class to travel to Taipei from as far away as Kaohsiung. Also in the protests were parents taking their children to see civic rights in action. One of the protestors was pro-democracy activist Lee Ming-che, who compared the current state of the legislature to China.

People thronged outside the Legislative Yuan to protest against the KMT and TPP ramming bills through the legislature to expand its power. Among them were many high school students.

High school student
We took the high speed rail from Kaohsiung at 6.30 a.m. My older brother asked for leave from work, and I asked for leave from class. I think if they want to pass these bills, they will definitely pass them, but we just want to come here and let them hear our voices.

High school student
I especially asked for leave to come here and my family was understanding and supportive.

High school student
I am from Hsinchu, and when I saw this news, I felt a sense of mission, and I thought I would come to defend Taiwan’s democracy.

Some people also brought their kids along to experience a rare sight of public citizenship in action.

Protester
It’s because I hoped my daughter could come with me to see how Taiwan’s democracy has developed. Passing such a chaotic bill in such an awful manner should not happen in a democratic country.

The TPP and KMT’s determination to ram these bills though the legislature has compelled Taiwan’s people to take to the streets once again. Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese human rights activist who was once imprisoned by China, was deeply moved. He pointedly noted that using a legislative majority to force bills through the legislature was no different from a communist country.

Lee Ming-che
Human rights activist
If you call the opinion of a majority democracy, then let me tell you, which country is the most democratic country in the world? It is the PRC, across from us. Over there, there’s no debates, only a majority. This kind of democracy is the democracy of a dictatorship. Today the KMT is using its majority and wants us to accept these kinds of “democratic” values.

The movement called “I’m in contempt of the legislature” saw a series of events from the public all over Taiwan. Students from many southern universities in Kaohsiung held events of their own.

Lai I-wei
National Sun Yat-sen university student
To give an example, the definitions of contempt of the legislature or interpellation may not even be extremely clear. In this case, there may be great difficulties in any implementations.

Lee Yu-cheng
National Pingtung University student
I never expected that in Taiwan today, in 2024, in the Legislative Yuan, which is the highest legislative body in our country and which should be the place the pays the greatest attention to procedures and democracy, there would erupt an incident of such excessive proportions that violates democratic procedures.

In addition to university student representatives, a senior high school student also came to support the event.

Yu Li-wei
St. Dominic’s Catholic High School student
We can see the chaos in the legislature this time. Not only did they not seek any consensus, the KMT conveners even directly declared they would not send it to legislators for discussion. The KMT should go back to high school and retake civics classes?

Over in Chiayi, people held up placards with slogans and protested in front of the train station to convey their opposition of the expansion of legislative powers.

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