Veterans’ protest leaders summoned for questioning

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter





Taipei police have issued summonses to question six leading figures in last week’s protests by military retirees outside the Legislative Yuan that turned violent, officials said yesterday.

Police and Taipei prosecutors have been reviewing video footage and other material from the violence on Wednesday and Thursday, and police said they wanted to question retired lieutenant general Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷), the spokesman for the 800 Heroes group, and the group’s convener, retired major general Wang Chung-yi (王忠義), today.

Taiwan Veteran Rights Protection Association president Huang Cheng-chung (黃正忠), Yueh Te-min (岳德敏), Tsao Wei-chi (曹維琪) and Huang Tung-hui (黃冬輝) have also been summoned.

Police said they intend to press charges of obstructing officers in the discharge of their duties, breaching the law on mass gatherings and demonstrations, and possibly on inciting others to engage in a public disturbance.

“With a crowd of about 1,000, the military pensioners began to storm the Legislative Yuan at 3pm on April 25,” the police said in a statement.

“They made attacks and contravened the law by ramming the police cordon line, and sabotaging and destroying the barricades and legislative compound’s metal gates,” the statement said.

“Protesters threw smoke flares, fire extinguishers and other objects as weapons, and used crowbars, metal claws, hydraulic cable cutters and other tools as they tried to storm the compound,” the statement said.

“Despite pleas by police officers to stop and warnings against their illegal actions, Wu and the other protest leaders continued giving instructions and ordering the crowd to advance and keep up the assault against police officers,” it said.

Figures released over the weekend said 84 police officers were injured during the protests, including a number of senior officials such as Taipei Daan District (大安) Precinct Chief Chou Huan-hsing (周煥興), Taipei Zhongshan District (中山) Precinct Chief Huang Yung-chih (黃永志) and Dunhua South Road Station Chief Tsui Chi-ying (崔企英).

The Taiwan Media Workers’ Union also released an update on the number of journalists who were hurt, saying 20 were attacked by the protesters and sustained injures, as well as having their cameras, mobile phones and other equipment looted.

Nine people suspected of attacking police and journalists were arrested on Wednesday.

After being questioned and charged by prosecutors, they were released, but travel restrictions were placed on five to prevent them from leaving their residences.

In related news, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus at the Taipei City Council has condemned Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and city officials over the violence.

The caucus said Ko and the others appear to condone the violence, because they have continued to issue permits for veterans’ groups to demonstrate around the legislature through May 18.