TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwanese authorities announced Friday (April 18) they will pursue legal action against Eric Chu (朱立倫), chairman of the opposition Kuomintang party (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's historically dominant political party that now sits in opposition, for allegedly breaching public assembly regulations during a demonstration. The charges stem from a protest Chu led outside the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (台北地檢署), Taiwan's capital city's main prosecutorial body, on Thursday that authorities claim continued despite multiple dispersal orders.
Police officials stated that Chu, alongside KMT legislator Hsieh Long-chieh (謝龍介), a member of Taiwan's parliament, continued leading the demonstration after authorities issued seven separate warnings to disband. According to law enforcement accounts, officers made multiple announcements ordering the crowd to disperse, but protesters disregarded these directives. Investigators now intend to call in the identified participants, including the political leaders, for formal questioning as they build their case.
Authorities are preparing for another potential confrontation as KMT supporters plan to reconvene outside the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office at 8 p.m. Friday evening. In anticipation of the follow-up demonstration, police officials have significantly bolstered security measures, deploying 160 officers and installing additional physical barriers around the building to secure the perimeter against possible incursions by protesters. ★
