TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Video surfaced on Thursday (April 27) showing an honor guard intercepting a protester who tried to fire a paint gun at a statue of Taiwan’s former dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).

Taiwan Nation released the video showing Taiwan Nation (台灣國) Chair Chilly Chen (陳峻涵) leaping over the rope barrier around a massive statue of Chiang seated in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Chen, who had a paint gun filled with red paint, rushed toward the statue and repeatedly shouted, "Tear down the bronze statue, transitional justice! Ruthless killer, remove the bronze statue!"

(Facebook, Taiwan Nation photo)

However, a military honor guard ran toward Chen and tried to shove him away from the statue with his rifle. Undaunted, Chen kept pressing forward and managed to fire a shot that left a small streak of red paint on the lower part of the statue.

Two security guards rushed forward and started pulling Chen to the side, and were soon joined by the other honor guard. A third security guard also arrived at the scene.

Chilly Chen tries to rush statue. (Facebook, Taiwan Nation photo)

When he seemed to calm down, two security guards escorted Chen toward the entrance. However, he started becoming agitated again, repeated the slogans, and continued to try to break free.

The security guards eventually wrestled Chen to the ground and disarmed him. Nevertheless, Chen continued to shout as three security guards dragged him out of the area.

Chen wrestles with honor guards and security guards. (Facebook, Taiwan Nation photo)

This is the seventh time since 2005 that members of Taiwan Nation have launched a protest calling for the removal of the Chiang statue from the hall, reported ETtoday. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently interviewed Chen on the progress of transitional justice and the removal of the Chiang statues, prompting the group to take more action.

In a statement, Taiwan Nation argued the statue of Chiang should be removed because he was a "butcher ... tens of millions of people died because of him." The group also claims that Chiang illegally occupied Taiwan based on the Cairo Declaration.

They claim this "actually is just a press communique that no one had signed" and General Order No 1 for the surrender of Japan, which "actually just authorized him to accept (Japan's) surrender on behalf of the alliance including the Soviet Union, Republic of China, USA, and United Kingdom."

Paint gun used by Chen. (Facebook, Taiwan Nation photo)

The group said the statue is "an incredible mockery of existence in Taiwan/ Although the government has enacted the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice, the organization complained "the government still does nothing about it."

Chen was arrested by officers from the Zhongzheng First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department. Police said he will be transferred to the Taipei District Court, where he is expected to face fines for breaching the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法).

Paint that splattered onto the statue. (CNA photo)

Taiwan Nation chair fires one shot off at Chiang Kai-shek statue from paint gun before being subdued by security https://t.co/IMKcnFHN9A pic.twitter.com/xdJSNqzXhB

— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNews886) April 27, 2023