TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei City Police Department (台北市政府警察局) announced Friday (April 18) that opposition Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and two associates will face criminal charges for organizing what authorities deemed an illegal assembly outside a prosecutor's office, escalating tensions between Taiwan's main opposition party and law enforcement.
The city's Zhongzheng First Precinct (台北市中正一警分局) stated Friday morning that Chu's group defied "repeated warnings and orders to disperse" while gathering in a restricted security zone. Officials have referred the case to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (台北地檢署), the same institution the protesters were targeting. Police confirmed plans to summon Chu and others for questioning as part of legal proceedings that could result in fines or criminal penalties.
Authorities acknowledged the demonstration remained non-violent with no confrontations with police officers. The precinct nevertheless issued a statement emphasizing that "peaceful and lawful expression of grievances" must occur within legal boundaries. Police urged political groups to "adhere to regulations and avoid disrupting social order," warning that any escalation to violence would trigger "strict enforcement to uphold legal integrity."
The protest erupted after prosecutors interviewed four individuals Thursday, including KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹) and other party officials, regarding allegations they forged documents for recall petitions against ruling party legislators. Prosecutors requested detention of the suspects, citing potential evidence tampering. Chu, accompanied by party representatives and spokesperson Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃), mobilized supporters outside the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (台北地檢署) in a demonstration that lasted from Thursday evening until dawn Friday. ★
