TAIWAN: THOUSANDS PROTESTING LAST MONTH'S ELECTION RESULTS CLASH WITH POLICE IN TAIPEI.

Record ID: 648893

  • Title: TAIWAN: THOUSANDS PROTESTING LAST MONTH'S ELECTION RESULTS CLASH WITH POLICE IN TAIPEI.
  • Date: 10th April 2004
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (APRIL 10-11, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WS/NIGHT: OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS, WHISTLING AND SHOUTING / WATER CANNON 0.11 2. VARIOUS/NIGHT: OF PROTESTERS BEING SPRAYED WITH WATER CANNON/ BARBED WIRE. (4 SHOTS) 0.26 3. MV/NIGHT: PROTESTERS/ BANNER "UNFAIR ELECTION" 0.32 4. SCU/NIGHT: LINE OF RIOT POLICE HOLDING BACK PROTESTERS. 0.38 5. MV/NIGHT: PROTESTERS PUSHING SCAFFOLDING. 0.40 6. CU/NIGHT: SCUFFLING BETWEEN RIOT POLICE AND PROTESTERS. 0.43 7. WS/NIGHT: PROTESTER STANDING ON TOP OF SCAFFOLD WAVING PLACARD/ PROTESTERS STANDING AROUND 0.52 8. MV/NIGHT: PROTESTERS ARGUING WITH RIOT POLICE. 0.59 9. TRACK/NIGHT: PROTESTERS CARRYING SCAFFOLD/POLICE HELMETS SEEN IN FOREGROUND. 1.07 10. WS/NIGHT: FIRE ON ROAD/ PROTESTERS ON ONE SIDE, RIOT POLICE AT THE SIDE, POLICEMAN USES FIRE EXSTINGUISHER. 1.22 11. VARIOUS/NIGHT: RIOT POLICE RUN FORWARD. 1.33 12. TRACK/NIGHT: PROTESTER BEING CARRIED OFF BY RIOT POLICE. 1.39 13. WS/NIGHT: OF SCAFFOLD BEING THROWN DOWN/ PROTESTERS AND POLICE. 1.52 14. WS/NIGHT: PROTESTERS PUSHING SCAFFOLD FORWARD. 1.59 15. VARIOUS/NIGHT: RIOT POLICE SCUFFLING WITH PROTESTERS. 2.15 16. WS/NIGHT: PROTESTER PULLING BOX UNDER SCAFFOLD. 2.26 17. MV/NIGHT: PROTESTER TYING SCAFFOLD. 2.34 18. WS/NIGHT: OF SCENE/ WATER CANNON, PROTESTERS, RIOT POLICE. 2.40 19. CLOSER VIEW SAME SCENE. 2.47 20. MLV/NIGHT: PROTESTERS/ BANNER "WELCOME PRC'S ARMY ... JUSTICE" 2.52 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Reuters ID: LVA1FA6ZNA8KTELRIWFRW9EY6WY6
  • Story Text: Thousands protesting last month's election results
    clash with riot police in Taipei.



    The clashes occured outside the barbed wire barriers
    protecting newly re-elected President Chen Shui-bian's
    office in Taipei.

    The violence erupted late on Saturday (April 10) night
    after more than 100,000 protesters marched to demand an
    independent inquiry into an election-eve assassination
    attempt on Chen, which opposition supporters suspect was
    staged to win sympathy votes.

    In the worst violence since last month's fiercely
    contested poll, about 2,000 protesters used large
    scaffolding as a battering ram and tried to charge through
    the iron barriers and barbed wire that protects the
    president's office.

    A water cannon and about 8,000 helmeted police wielding
    wooden batons and holding shields forced the protesters
    back. At least two people were taken to hospital with
    bleeding foreheads.

    "Chen Shui-bian step down! We want the truth! Go
    democracy!" the protesters shouted as they threw tables,
    chairs, placards and bottles in the third major protest
    since Chen narrowly defeated Nationalist leader Lien Chan
    in the March 20 elections.

    It took the police five hours to clear the square as
    they tried to use minimum force.

    Earlier in the day, Lien led a peaceful rally demanding
    an independent inquiry into the shooting in which Chen was
    lightly wounded. The president has rejected demands for an
    inquiry, so Nationalists are calling for a referendum on
    the issue.

    Police estimated about 120,000 people at the rally,
    double the number at last weekend's event but less than the
    500,000 who took to the streets on March 27 in Taiwan's
    largest protest.

    The crowd began to break up after Lien left, when the
    violence started.

    The cabinet said such a referendum would be
    unconstitutional as the committee would be endowed with too
    much power.

    Chen was gashed across the stomach and Vice President
    Annette Lu was wounded in the knee when an unknown
    assailant with a homemade handgun fired two bullets at them
    as they campaigned in the southern city of Tainan on March
    19.

    Chen won re-election the following day by just 30,000
    votes out of more than 13 million cast.

    Police say they have no suspects for the shooting so
    far.


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