TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Thousands marched in anti-pollution parades in Taichung and Kaohsiung yesterday calling for the government to take measures to reduce Taiwan's reliance on coal for power production and to increase the penalties on polluters.

At 2:15 p.m., before the start of the march in Taichung, hundreds formed an outline with their bodies in Taichung City Council Square which read "no coal" and also formed a map of Taiwan. The march then moved to the Taichung City Government Building and lasted until 5:20 p.m.



Protesters form a "no coal" sign and map of Taiwan with their bodies in Taichung. (CNA image)

The Taichung protesters, which reached 5,000 according its organizer the Taiwan Healthy Air Action Alliance, demanded Taichung's coal-fired power plant, one of the largest in the world, reduce its use of coal by 20 percent by Jan. 2018, and continue to reduce its coal usage by 10 percent every subsequent year, with the end goal of switching to natural gas by 2025. It also called for a 20 percent reduction of emissions by the top 30 stationary pollution sources by the end of 2018 and add the current air quality status to the "Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network" at once.



Marchers in Taichung anti-pollution protest. (CNA image)

Meanwhile, in Kaohsiung, a protest which drew 3,000 participants organized by the Southern Taiwan Anti-Air Pollution Alliance, gathered at 1 p.m. at the Aozhidi MRT Station and marched down Boai 2nd Road. The protesters had four primary demands: increase fines for air pollution, reduce air pollution by the state-run companies China Steel, CPC, and Taipower by 50 percent, ban the use of bituminous coal, and to call for the tightening of current air pollution and environmental impact assessment laws, reported Liberty Times.



Children in Kaohsiung protest pollution by wearing masks. (CNA image)

In regard to emissions by polluting industries, Kaohsiung protesters demanded that fines be increased for the release of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds.

Renowned ecologist Chen Yueh-fong told United Daily News that although air quality in Taiwan has steadily deteriorated in Taiwan since the 1990s, the government has failed to make key changes to environmental policy and not a single factory has been shut down for violating pollution regulations. He said the government should stop placing priority on the keeping costs low for business at the expense of the environment.



Sign reads, "Act violently against air pollution, make the demons retreat." (CNA image)

As for the government's reponse, EPA head Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) attended the rally in Kaohsiung and agreed to sign a petition that stated that the government would "guarantee the people's right to breathe, have zero tolerance for air pollution and be committed to solve problems, reported CNA." Meanwhile, Presidential Office spokesperson Sidney Lin (林鶴明) said that the government has plans in place to control all sources of pollution and is willing to cooperate with all sectors to improve air quality.

Kaohsiung's Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) said that her government has policies in the works to address protester's demands and will work with the private sector on reducing air pollution through measures such as phasing out diesel-powered vehicles.