《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Ex-Hualon workers and toll collectors ambush Lien, Ma

By Lii Wen / Staff reporter

About 30 activists from two labor groups — former workers at Hualon Corp and former freeway toll collectors — launched a surprise protest outside a campaign rally for Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien （連勝文） last night, demanding to speak with President Ma Ying-jeou （馬英九）, who was at the venue to stump for Lien.

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The raid comes on the heels of another joint rally staged by the two groups in the afternoon, in which several hundred workers clashed with police outside KMT headquarters.

The demonstrators attempted to enter Lien’s rally venue, which was held at a plaza at the center of an apartment complex, but they were stopped short by dozens of police officers.

Unable to gain access, the protesters shouted slogans and expressed their opinions through a loudspeaker.

Labor activist Lu Chih-hung （盧其宏） said the recent series of protests were a “last resort” for the workers.

“Sadly, the government has decided to use all of its resources on electoral campaigns, while neglecting the wishes of the workers, who have been waiting for their pensions for 10 years,” he said, referring to the former Hualon workers, who are claiming an average of NT$1 million （US$33,000） apiece in unpaid pensions from the bankrupt textiles manufacturer.

As the protesters and police stood locked in a standoff, a woman who said she was the chairperson of the local community council yelled at them repeatedly: “Get out, get out.”

The woman, who refused to disclose her name, said the activists were unwelcome at the venue, and said that the apartment complex was private property.

“If they have any problems, why don’t they go tell [Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson] Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文）?” she asked.

Within half an hour, police surrounded the protesters and pushed them away from the apartment complex, although one lone protester managed to enter the rally venue momentarily, before swiftly being removed by the police.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES