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[Taipei, 7:45 PM] – Inside the parliament, students have gathered again in the middle of the floor and preparing for a rumored police confrontation soon. Scene from outside the parliament where a makeshift speech series has begun:
Outside the parliament (Photo by Betty Wang)
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[Taipei, 7:06 PM] – Outside Source on BBC will take about Taiwan, live right now:
Outside the parliament, scholars and professors have also gathered and organized into a seminar series with public speeches. They have mostly confirmed and praised the students’ actions as taking steps to secure and exercise their own democratic power.
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[Taipei, 5:27 PM] – According to the
Facebook page of the Anti-Black Box Services Agreement group, police are gathering on Linsen South Road and Jinan Street. There are also rumors that the police will begin evicting demonstrators again in the evening:
(Map by Anti-Black Box Services Agreement)
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[Taipei, 3:31 PM] – Taiwan’s Apple Daily reports that President Ma Ying-jeou did not respond to any of the student demonstrators’ demands or make any comments about their occupying the parliament this morning. Instead, at a KMT party function he stressed the importance of implementing experimental free trade zones and the services agreement. Meanwhile, the parliament has announced that it will be in emergency recess today.
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/politics/20140319/362738/
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[Taipei, 3:03 PM] – The Chinese Nationalist Party, or KMT, released a
press release explaining its stance on the parliament occupation situation. The KMT, which is the majority party of the parliament and controls the presidency, says that while it has “always supported a line-by-line review of the Cross Straits Services Trade Agreement, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has intentionally disrupted the review process and now is encouraging citizens to engage in illegal activities.” The KMT’s
President Ma Ying-jeou and his administration has pursued a China-friendly policy on trade. KMT legislator Chang Ching-chung was the committee chair who announced unilaterally that review of the agreement has closed and the agreement automatically sent to the floor for a vote (Chang cites that the agreement is deemed an “executive order” and therefore a three month period applies). Meanwhile, many DPP legislators, including
Hsiao Bi-khim,
Yeh Yi-jin, and
Kuan Bi-ling were at the parliament throughout the night inside the parliament floor and had scuffled with the police.
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[Taipei, 1:52 PM] – Not an update per se, but if anyone is interested in the actual text, in
Chinese. Be advised that the actual market sectors and how these trade barriers are treated are in the Appendix.
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[Taipei, 12:09 PM] – More police have arrived near the parliament on Linsen South Road (林森南路). They may be reinforcing the existing force, but also likely to replace the tired officers that have been there overnight:
Buses carrying police officers arrive on scene (Photo by Felicia Lin)
Buses carrying police officers arrive on scene (Photo by Felicia Lin)
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[Taipei, 11:46 AM] – This is the presentation that NTU professor and chair of the economics department 鄭秀玲 made last year arguing against the Cross Straits Services Agreement. (
Click here)
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[Taipei, 10:51 AM] – View from the outside:
View outside the parliament (Photo by Felicia Lin)
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[Taipei, 10:16 AM] – We are seeing reports that the air conditioning has been turned off inside the parliament building.
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[Taipei, 10:13 AM] – The police force have also reinforced about 100 officers over the last few hours, and there are reportedly around 700 officers stationed by Zhenjiang Street (鎮江街).
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[Taipei, 10:05 AM] – Word is that “reinforcements”, supporters of the demonstration from other parts of Taiwan, are arriving intermittently to the parliament. Meanwhile there are also reports of police gathering a larger force.
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[Taipei, 9:16 AM] – Here is a presentation by a investment consulting firm in Taiwan analyzing the impact by the Cross-Straits Services Agreement to the various market sectors in Taiwan:
English /
中文.
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[Taipei, 9:03 AM] – Press release from the
Facebook page of the demonstration:
“On the evening of March 17th, citizens protested nonviolently to save the democracy procedure and dignity trampled by President Ma Ying-jeou and KMT legislator Chang Ching-chung. However, Ma and Prime Minster Jiang Yi-huah have violated legislative independence and deployed riot police onto the grounds of the parliament to abuse students and citizens, and violated the constitution.
We demand that the Ma administration:
1. Police to withdraw from the parliament immediately, President Ma issue official apology, and Prime Minster Jiang be removed;
2. Chang Ching-chung’s illegal committee meeting to be deemed nullified and the services agreement repealed;
3. Legislate as soon as possible laws to regulate agreements between China and Taiwan, and to freeze all contact and negotiations between the two sides.
***
3月17日晚上，公民採取非暴力抗爭，搶救被馬英九與張慶忠踐踏的民主秩序與尊嚴。但馬英九與江宜樺竟違反國會自主，派遣大批鎮暴警察進入立法院，對學生與公民施暴，違法違憲。
我們嚴正要求馬英九政府：
一、警察立刻退出國會，馬英九向全民道歉，江宜樺下台；
二、張慶忠違法會議無效，立即退回服貿協議；
三、盡速完成兩岸協定簽署條例之立法，在此之前，暫停所有兩岸協商與高層互訪。
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[Taipei, 9:01 AM] – Photos from the scuffle at the front gate:
Scuffle in front of the parliament (Photo by 敏紅)
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[Taipei, 8:46 AM] – There have been rumors and reports of police action and physical scuffle at the main gate of the parliament.
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[Taipei, 8:36 AM] – Taiwan historian and independence activist
Su Beng has been sitting out at the front gate of the parliament for most of the evening.
Su Beng at the parliament (Photo by 敏紅)
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[Taipei, 8:30 AM] – We are working to provide information on the press conference that is supposed to be happening right now. According to sources inside the parliament floor most of the student demonstrators are quite exhausted from lack of sleep.
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[Taipei, 8:02 AM] – Press conference to be held at 8:30 AM.
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[Taipei, 7:04 AM] – Police officers taking a break as well:
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[Taipei, 7:04 AM] – The mood inside the parliament has relaxed a bit and people are resting or napping on any flat surface they can find. Supposedly, supporters from other parts of Taiwan will arrive in Taipei during the day on Wednesday.
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[Taipei, 6:53 AM] – Video of police attempting to enter through the parliament door:
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[Taipei, 6:49 AM] – Former DPP chairman
Shih Ming-te (施明德) has arrived at the parliament. Shih was a activist during the authoritarian rule of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) under Chiang Kai-shek.
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[Taipei, 6:36 AM] – The police as once again retreated for the moment. News reports are reporting three or four attempts by the police to grab whomever they can. In other news, daybreak in Taipei:
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[Taipei, 6:33 AM] – The police force is still gathered at the door to the right of the parliamentary floor in a tense stand-off with the student demonstrators inside.
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[Taipei, 6:22 AM] – The scene seems to have died down a bit. The legislator who spoke to the police as they were breaching the door was Taiwan Solidarity Union’s (TSU)
Zhou Ni-An (周倪安). The TSU has traditionally supported anti-China policies.
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[Taipei, 6:14 AM] – Fei-Fan Lin seems to be telling people at the front to lock arms and some of the students at the front were seen taunting the police. Now a female legislator have appeared between the students and the police at the door.
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[Taipei, 6:13 AM] – Police are entering again and pulling the students at the front near the door outside.
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[Taipei, 6:05 AM] – View outside the parliament:
View outside the parliament close to daybreak (Photo by Alysa Chiu)
View outside the parliament close to daybreak (Photo by Alysa Chiu)
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[Taipei, 5:58 AM] – Fei-Fan Lin (林飛帆) is leading the crowd in demanding to meet with the president and for the police to withdraw.
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[Taipei, 5:54 AM] – The speaker at the parliament floor seemed to be Fei-Fan Lin (林飛帆).
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[Taipei, 5:52 AM] – There’s a countdown by the crowd now.
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[Taipei, 5:48 AM] – The demonstrators are now demanding that the police commander withdraw his officers IN FIVE MINUTES or they will ask the demonstrators from the outside to “come in.”
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[Taipei, 5:44 AM] – The police have stopped pushing forward, and there are intermittent shouts about the police hitting Members of Parliament.
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[Taipei, 5:40 AM] – The students are shouting for President Ma Ying-jeou to meet.
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[Taipei, 5:40 AM] – The students are shouting for President Ma Ying-jeou to meet.
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[Taipei, 5:38 AM] – The speaker with the loudspeaker is telling the police that “the 1,000 plus demonstrators outside will have action”.
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[Taipei, 5:36 AM] – The leaders inside the parliament floor is telling people to hold hands and form a barricade, and the students are shouting “back off police.” The police have broken through the right door and is forcing entry.
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[Taipei, 5:35 AM] – More demonstrators are gathering at the right entrance.
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[Taipei, 5:32 AM] – Students are gathering and blocking the entrance on the right of the parliament floor with more furniture as barricades. The police may be forcing entry again.
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[Taipei, 5:01 AM] – More demonstrators are gathering outside.
Outside LY by 許文輔
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[Taipei, 4:35 AM] – The demonstrators appear to be resting after stopping the first attempted breach.
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[Taipei, 4:20 AM] – The demonstrators have issued three demands at the beginning of the struggle yesterday: 1. Repeal the Cross-Straits Services Trade Agreement. 2. Urge the speaker of parliament Wang Jin-pyng to refrain from using the police and disallow riot police to enter the parliament. 3. The parliament must pass laws to oversee and regulate any documents to be signed between Taiwan and China. (Chinese original follows)
一、我們要求，為了捍衛人民權益，立刻退回服貿協議。 二、我們要求立法院長王金平堅持國會自主，無須動用警察權，且不得讓鎮暴警察進入國會，切莫再次傷害台灣民主。 三、我們要求，在任何兩岸的相關條例審查前，立法院應通過兩岸相關協定簽訂及監督條例。
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[Taipei, 4:09 AM] – The police’s first attempt at breaking into the parliament floor:
Students trying to block the door at the police’s attempt at breaking through (Photo by 許文輔)
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[Taipei, 4:04 AM] – A view outside and inside the parliament:
At the front gate (Photo by 敏紅)
Inside the parliament before the police’s first attempt to enter (Photo by Felicia Lin)
(Photo from demonstration’s Facebook event page)
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[Taipei, 3:56 AM] – Students are cheering as the police have entirely retreated from the parliament floor. We are covering the on-going demonstrator occupation of Taiwan’s parliament into the early morning on Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2014 Taipei time.
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[Taipei, 3:52 AM] – Police have urged students to give them space to retreat and the police have temporarily backed out of the parliament floor.
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[Taipei, 3:49 AM] – Students are shouting for the police to back away, as the police force is forcing themselves onto the floor. More students are gathering and pushing themselves against the doorway.
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[Taipei, 3:46 AM] – The doors have been breached but most of the police force is still outside the parliamentary floor. The police is urging students to move away from the doors.
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[Taipei, 3:43 AM] – The police is making announcements telling the students to refrain from pushing furniture onto the doors to block their entrance.
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[Taipei, 3:42 AM] – The police has broken through the doors and students are piling furniture and themselves onto the doors to keep more officers from entering. Most of the students are sitting in the area in front of the box, shouting “Repeal the agreement, protect democracy”.
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[Taipei, 3:39 AM] – The police is forcing themselves through the two doors behind the speaker’s box, as well as another door to the left. They have broken through the doors with students blocking the doors.
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[Taipei, 3:38 AM] – THE POLICE IS ENTERING.
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[Taipei, 3:28 AM] – Earlier students rummaged through the desk of KMT legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠) and uploaded a stash of business cards from Chinese businessmen and leaders. Chang Ching-chung is the chair of the Internal Administration Committee who announced that the trade agreement has automatically passed after three months deliberation. One of the leaders Fei-Fan Lin (林飛帆) then prohibited students from entering into more desks and drawers.
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[Taipei, 3:17 AM] – Police says they will break in in 10 minutes. Students are shouting for the police to leave.
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[Taipei, 3:01 AM] – Riot police on standby outside the parliament at Zhenjiang Street (鎮江街):
Riot police on standby outside of the parliament (Photo by Felicia Lin)
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[Taipei, 2:58 AM] - The parliament demonstration was sparked by the Taiwan-China free trade agreement on services, which was unilaterially passed out of committee by the KMT. Here is an excerpt from the Debrief podcast this week:
On Monday, the Cross-Straits Services Trade Agreement has left the Internal Administration Committee and is now on the parliament floor for a vote. The agreement has been signed between China and Taiwan in June last year to open up sectors ranging from finance to food and medical services for each other’s enterprises and labor.
Amidst jostling at the committee hearing today, the committee chair KMT legislator 張慶忠 unilaterally announced in the corner, three minutes into the committee meeting, that the agreement has “expired its three month review period and is automatically deemed to have passed.”
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[Taipei, 2:45 AM] – Students are gathering on the floor space at the front, with announcements giving instructions on how to react when the police comes to remove the demonstrators. The speaker is urging peaceful cooperation with the police with specific instructions on where to put one’s hands and arms to avoid injury and confrontation with the police.
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[Taipei, 2:21 AM] – Images from inside and outside the parliament:
Barricaded the doors (Photo by Yi Pan)
Demonstrators occupy the floor and speaker’s box (Photo by Yi Pan)
At the front gate of the Parliament (Photo by Felicia Lin)
Outside the fence (Photo by Felicia Lin)
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[Taipei, 1:36 AM] – Students are singing as they prepare for the police to breach. It is now the morning of Wednesday, March 19, 2014 in Taiwan.
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On 9:00 PM Tuesday night Taiwan Time, demonstrators outside the parliament in Taipei have stormed the building and occupied the parliament floor. Police were pushed out and shut outside the floor by a barricade of furniture. Right now, there are about 500 demonstrators, mostly students, inside the parliamentary floor and about 1,000 more outside the gates of the parliament. Academics active in social movements such as Academia Sinica legal scholar 黃國昌, and independent candidate for Taipei mayor 柯文哲, have been on site. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) current and former chairpersons Su Jen-chang, Tsai Ing-wen, Frank Hsieh and other DPP legislators have also joined the sit-in, as well as Taiwan Solidarity Union members. We will be live-blogging the events unfolding in Taipei on this post.
(Feature photo by Caluti Liao, via Facebook)
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