TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over 20,000 people, including presidential hopefuls and opposition party politicians, showed up at a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard on Sunday afternoon (July 17) in support of issues ranging from housing to judicial reform.
The protest was organized by former New Power Party Legislator Huang Guochang (黃國昌) and internet celebrity Holger Chen (陳之漢). The event drew a slate of opposition presidential hopefuls, including KMT candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), TPP candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and Foxconn founder Terry Gou (郭台銘).
Protesters on Ketagalan Boulevard. (Taiwan News reporter Jono Thomson photo)
Huang called for a crackdown on corrupt politicians, noting that those who take bribes and kickbacks must pay the price. He said only after such a purge can fairness and justice return to Taiwan.
Gou called out President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for only creating 70,000 public housing units instead of her 2016 election pledge to provide 200,000.
On criminal justice, Gou claimed polls indicated that seven out of 10 people do not believe that the Tsai government is doing enough.
Gou also said that he used to be a renter before the age of 38. He said he hoped that young people would dare to live a dream similar to people of his generation, including getting married and having children.
Foxconn founder Terry Gou. (Taiwan News reporter Jono Thomson photo)
Later, the KMT's Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) said the DPP's criminal justice reform over the past seven years had largely been empty promises. He said the threshold for parole and minimum security prisons should be raised, and that prisoners should serve their time.
Hou decried that bribery and kickbacks on behalf of the rich and powerful continue, with many ordinary people seemingly having no access to justice. As an example, he noted how some in positions of power used their connections to get COVID-19 vaccines early in the pandemic.
Hou also said citizens are defrauded of some NT$70 billion (US$2.26 billion) annually, with many people's lifesavings wiped out and family fortunes ruined. Hou said authorities have not been able to solve such cases of fraud and that gangsters and guns continue to flood the streets.
KMT's Hou Yu-ih addresses the crowd. (Taiwan News reporter Keira Chang photo)
TPP's Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was the last to take the stage, noting those in attendance were not there to protest but to work for a fair and just future for Taiwan. Regarding the criminal justice system, Ko said there is little equality in today's society as the legal system often turns a blind eye to injustice.
Ko implored the government to allow prosecutors to handle cases without interference and end special treatment for famous people and their families.
Ko asked how many public housing units were built during Tsai's time in office and how many units had been completed. Ko said Tsai has been purposely deceiving the public by saying that many housing units are in the "planning" stage.
TPP's Ko Wen-je addresses the crowd. (Taiwan News reporter Keira Chang photo)
Ko said the government should create public housing units so that they account for 5% of the total number of housing units on the market. He claimed this would curb housing prices, and a reformed housing tax system could also reign in prices. He also said housing subsidies should be provided for tenants, not landlords.
In the end, Ko appealed to President Tsai not to forget the pledge she made seven years ago when she pledged that the DPP would uphold the concept of clean governance as she carried out the final few months of her administration.
