It's eye-opening to try and see what is going down at the Legislative Yuan this week, so we dropped in. On Thursday daytime, the police were there en masse, as were the protesters. And on Friday night, culminating in a steady four day peaceful protest, estimates of 30,000 people were being thrown around.
Originally intended to be a protest against the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement between Taiwan and China - the details of which have been undisclosed to the public - by the fourth day it felt more like a scintillating liberation, as opposed to a mark of frustration.
We grabbed two interviews. The first one with Taichung resident Una Wang, who we witnessed giving confident speeches on various stages, reassuring the spectators. And she shared with us the following:
"Everyone should insist what they want to insist. I don't mind if you're green, blue or whatever color. It doesn't matter. We just want Taiwan to keep going and to be better, step by step. If you believe in this and reject the policy, then just go ahead. Everyone has their point and it doesn't matter what other people say. Choose what you want to believe… I want to see everything"
Una clearly grasps the universal ideas of protest and acknowledged the older generation, whom people often omit from their stereotype of protest:
“Some of the older people can’t handle it.
If you read Taiwanese history, you will know that it is very difficult. Just
like my Grandpa. He had a hard time when he was
very young. He really love the greens because of history. My Grandfather is green... My father and mother…well,
it depends."
The daytime protest on Thursday brought windy weather with banners of all kinds shuddering in the gusts. The vibe seemed orderly. Nobody could comment on the longevity of the activity. However, by Friday night, there were rumors abound that the President Ma had given the police license to move the protesters on and ban foreigners from the site of the Yuan. But The Jabber thinks this sounds more like Facebook gossip. Regarding the large number of cops, our second anonymous source said:
"The police just follow their occupation and do what the government want them to do. They don't truly want to do that.."
So, after the tension of Friday morning, due to waning numbers, Friday night brought a feeling of jubilation and a kind of 'yes we can.' There were colors everywhere. There was a ton of instant noodles, bottled water and warm blankets. There was music, speeches and lots of people. After chaotic images of riots in cities like Paris, London or Istanbul over the years, the respectful and steady occupation of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei has begun to speak volumes. Sure, many people feel powerless, but fighting fire with fire is too hasty here.
Our second interviewee summed it up in an eloquent way to get to the crux:
"The government ignore the true process of setting up a role. They destroy democracy regulations...They have the wrong reputation. That's why the students gather here. We want the government to know that we are not idiots.We all know what they do....It's already been four days. We can continue for days. All the thoughts are already in the students' hearts and brains. It's been truly successful for Taiwanese people. The true thing is not just this protest. It's in the Taiwanese peoples hearts. We can do it. We can control it."
Marcus Sangiovese
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