331 to 411: Falling Action

331 to 411: Falling Action

The complete timeline of the movement from 331 to the end of the movement

Looking back, from 330 until the withdrawal was the falling action of the movement. This was, however, marked by attempts to develop the movement in new directions, internal splits within the movement, and some dramatic moments which took place after the eventual withdrawal from the Legislative Yuan.  

In line with the Taiwanese practice of sometimes referring to dates by the number of the month followed by the number of the day in the month (For example, an event which occurred on February 28th will be referred to as “228”), key dates of the movement will thereafter be referred to by number.

331

  • A press conference is held reiterating the demands of the previous day, with representatives of different participating organizations. However, primarily the day is one of exhaustion, seeing as to the events of the day before, but there is also indecision about what the next steps of the movement should be.
  • Heavy rain and loud thunder in the early morning, leading to a flurry of activity to avoid the rain in the encampment.

Photo credit: tinru/Flickr/CC
  • Student leaders including Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) and Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷) report receiving threatening text messages on their cell phones. Calls have also been circulating on the Internet to occupy the homes of Lin and Chen’s families.
  • The Executive Yuan states that it will review a version of the cross-straits oversight bill by April 3rd at the earliest, but this differs from the version proposed by students within the legislature. Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) also makes this statement in front of representatives of forty commercial organizations.
  • Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Woody Duh (杜紫軍) and Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lin Chu-chia (林祖嘉) hold forum at National Cheng Chi University regarding the CSSTA.
  • Public outrage against the Ministry of National Defense after Taipei City Councilor Tai Hsi-chin (戴錫欽), a member of the KMT, is invited onto military educational program Chukuang Garden (莒光園地), in order to discuss the CSSTA. Tai’s comments are not only accused of being biased in terms of supporting the CSSTA, but the Ministry of National Defense is accused of violating political neutrality through its actions, particularly because city councilor primaries are ongoing and this could be read as support for Tai.
  • DPP legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) throws water at Chang Ching-Chung (張慶忠) during a meeting of the Internal Administrations Committee of the Legislative Yuan.
  • The heads of the Chinese National Federation of Industries, General Chamber of Commerce, and 40 other large business groups supportive of the CSSTA meet with Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) to urge face-to-face dialogue between Ma and students.

Photo credit: billy1125/Flickr/CC
  • Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) agrees to hold a national-level trade conference, as pushed for by big business leaders as the General Chamber of Commerce, in order to better public views of the CSSTA.
  • AIT board member David Brown, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, publishes a letter alleging the DPP of orchestrating the Sunflower Movement in the Nelson Report.
  • Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧) denies that the Ministry of Education has ordered schools to take attendance to keep track of who is participating in the Sunflower Movement, but states that the occupation is not right and is illegal, a view also expressed by National Tsing Hua University president Hong Ho-cheng (賀陳弘).
  • Fifth cross-party between KMT and DPP talks break down.

401

“White Wolf” Chang An-Lo and associates. Photo credit: ETToday.net
  • Altogether Chang brings about 200 people to the Legislative Yuan encampment with him. Chang vows to evict the students who, to him, are Han traitors. While Chang and his lackeys ultimately keep their distance from the occupation, some demonstrators who venture too close are beaten, with the police doing little to help. Notably, some of the organizations which arrive with Chang claim to be labor organizations, including the Labor Welfare Association (勞工福利聯盟), the Taipei City General Labor Union (台北市總工會), as well as the Anti-Independent History Front (抗獨史陳線). [1]
  • Chang and company arrive at 2 PM and leave at 5 PM, vowing to return. One of the gangsters is recorded on video shouting “Come! Come! Come! Come!” at nearby demonstrators to try and provoke them into a fight, which becomes popularly mocked on the Internet. Chang and company are not arrested by police, with the claim that this was not an unregistered protest, but the statement that they were only “passing through” (路過).

Chang and associates from a distance. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
  • Wang Shi-Jian (王世堅)  screams his famous “Over my dead body!” quote while the White Wolf is on-site.
  • Erik Olin Wright, analytic Marxist professor of sociology and head of the American Sociological Association, visits the occupation site, having been visiting in Taiwan to give several talks since March 26th, including some organized by Taiwan democracy movement veteran Linda Gail Arrigo (艾琳達).
  • The Baomin (報民) newspaper assembled and distributed during the Sunflower Movement is first released explain the effects of the TPP, RCEP, ECFA, and other free trade agreements. Editions are also produced in Japanese and other languages.
  • Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) shrugs off 330’s protests in public comments, suggesting that there are many issues which are divisive of Taiwanese society, but one cannot address them all. Ma provokes much anger, given that 330 was one of the largest protests in Taiwanese history, but this apparently of little importance to Ma. This adds weight to accusations that the KMT cares little for Taiwanese democracy. KMT legislator Chang Ching-Chong(張慶忠) apologizes for his actions, however.
  • Kano is screened within the Legislative Yuan, with the permission of producer Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖).

Riot police amassed in front of the National Police Agency, near where Chang “passed by” the occupation. The gathered riot police did not do anything to prevent demonstrators who strayed too close to Chang and his associates from being beaten, however. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
  • Internal splits are widening the movement, however, with increasing dissatisfaction over Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷) and Lin Fei-Fan’s (林飛帆) leadership, exhaustion setting in, and the sense that with the movement having already reached its peak, withdrawal is in order.
  • The Taipei city government states that movement leaders such as Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆), Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷), Lai Zhongqiang (賴中強), and others will face charges.
  • A petition is filed with the Control Yuan regarding the 324 eviction, urging investigation into police wrongdoing. A 76-year-old man surnamed Chou (周) files a lawsuit against Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九), alleging serious injury on 324.
  • Ministry of Economic Affairs holds lecture at NTU attempting to promote the CSSTA.
  • Chen Chu (陳菊), a former dangwai movement participant and a DPP heavyweight, states conditional support for the CSSTA rather than complete opposition to the bill, and this reiterated by DPP spokespersons.
  • Former AIT head Richard Bush praises Ma Ying-Jeou’s (馬英九) handling of protests to date.
  • Controversy follows against television station Public Television Service (PTS) after it pulls a scheduled interview with Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) to screen a music documentary instead, some alleging interference from higher-ups in the station.

The Untouchables’ Liberation Area. Photo credit: othree/Flickr/CC
Primary Sources

402

  • Damage to the Legislative Yuan is discovered by the occupiers. Chang Ching-Chong (張慶忠), who passed the CSSTA in under 30 seconds, visits the Legislative Yuan site, leading to Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷) attempting to rush him but being restrained by police.
  • Japanese scholar of intellectual thought Koyasu Nobukuni (子安宣邦) visits the Legislative Yuan and meets with Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆).
  • Le Flanc Radical releases statement criticizing the central leadership of the movement.
  • Police release list of individuals facing charges for their actions during the Legislative Yuan occupation and attempted Executive Yuan occupation, a total of 24 names, including Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) and Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷), Wei Yang (魏揚), and a total of 11 students. 205 individuals have been arrested in the course of the movement so far.
  • Rex How (郝明義), a former policy advisor to Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) and social commentator, starts the “100 Sunflower Artworks” campaign, inviting artists to submit sunflower-themed artworks to www.savetaiwan.net.

Photo credit: Duke Lin/Flickr/CC
  • The Spring Scream (春天吶喊) rock festival reports lower attendance than usual, with hundreds of attendees seeking refunds because of a desire to stay in Taipei for the Sunflower Movement.
  • Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) praises the creativity of students but urges them to go home so legislature can get on with its work and calls their thinking muddled. This leads to criticism from student leaders, particularly given Lung’s past praise of the Wild Lily Movement and her own criticisms of the KMT during the authoritarian period.
  • Student leaders of the Sunflower Movement hold a Q-and-A session on Reddit.
  • The committee meeting for the CSSTA is blocked by the DPP, who physically obstruct KMT legislators from meeting.

403

Photo credit: Eddy Huang/Flickr/CC
  • Criticism is particularly focused upon the control of space on March 30th, as well as that Le Flanc Radical, another group operating within the Sunflower Movement, was not allowed to carry out their activities. Following a statement released by Le Flanc Radical, this leads to Huang Kuo-Chang (黃國昌) apologizing to Le Flanc Radical. For their part, Le Flanc Radical defends themselves by stressing the role that they played in the background of the movement, but that they were sometimes excluded from the movement. Part of the reaction is against the “deification” of the three central figures of Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆), Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷), and Huang Kuo-Chang (黃國昌).
  • Eight KMT legislators attempt to enter the Legislative Yuan in the early morning in order to conduct a legislative review of the CSSTA by the Internal Administration Committee, but they are physically blocked by DPP legislators. Demonstrators later physically attempt to try and stop their car from leaving at approximately 9 AM, leading to fighting outside with the several hundred police which have gathered to block them.
  • Cabinet unveils its version of a Cross-strait Oversight Bill, but Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷) and other students hold a press conference criticizing the Executive Yuan’s version of the cross-straits oversight bill as too weak and merely for show by the KMT in an attempt to quell dissatisfaction against it.
  • Mainland Affairs Council minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) claims that the ability to pass cross-strait agreements is executive power according to the ROC constitution and claims that the civil society version of the Cross-Strait Oversight Bill would necessitate the repeal of all prior eighteen cross-strait agreements with China, including the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement.
  • Police on-site around the Legislative Yuan are equipped with riot gear.
  • Former president Lee Teng-Hui (李登輝) criticizes Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) for his disregard of students’ views, referencing his past experiences during the Wild Lily Movement (野百合運動).
Photo credit: tomscy2000/Flickr/CC
  • Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) requests Wang Jinpyng (王金平) to resolve the situation with the Legislative Yuan as soon as possible. [2] 
  • At 7 PM, KMT secretary-general Tseng Yung-Chuan (曾永權) issues statement condemning student occupiers and calling on the police to uphold the law.
  • The formation of Democracy Kuroshio (民主黑潮) is declared, a nationwide alliance of student groups from universities including National Sun Yat-Sen University, National Chung Cheng University, National Kaohsiung Normal University, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, National Pingtung University of Education, Shih Hsin University, Tung Hai University, and Fu Jen Catholic University.
  • Police probe of the attempted Executive Yuan occupation begins, with ten summoned for questioning. Four do not attend.
  • Under questioning, Taipei police admit that they do not know the whereabouts of “White Wolf” Chang An-Lo (張安樂).

Photo credit: Y.H. Kao/Flickr/CC
  • Jiang Yi-Hua (江宜樺) declares the formation of the Citizen’s Constitutional Assembly Conference, a national-level conference on economics and trade, which will include 120 government officials, academics, civil society group representatives and others, and will be conducted in an open and transparent manner. The first meeting of this body is to take place in June. The government version of the cross-straits oversight bill is sent to the Legislative Yuan. Jiang, however, also lashes out at students for failing to be appreciative of the steps the government has taken to accommodate them. Jiang agreeing to this was in response to a demand of the students to hold such a conference which Jiang had previously criticized.
  • Sixth cross-party between KMT and DPP talks break down, and a second committee meeting is unable to be held because of DPP interference.
Primary Sources

404

  • DPP legislator Lin Shu-Fen (林淑芬) raises concern about future actions by the Ma administration to evict students, seeing as 6,000 riot police have been ordered to deploy to the Legislative Yuan. Students drill within the Legislative Yuan for possible police incursions.

Democracy Kuroshio demonstrators. Photo credit: Democracy Kuroshio/Facebook
  • Democracy Kuroshio’s to recall KMT legislators who are viewed as especially corrupt is launched. Several hundred student demonstrators hold a march in Banqiao calling for the recall of KMT legislators Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池), Wu Yu-Sheng (吳育昇), Chang Ching-Chung (張慶忠), and Lin Te-fu (林德福), the so-called “Four Great Bandits of the KMT” (國民黨四大寇). In particular, Banqiao is the legislative district of Lin Hung-chih.  Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) leaves the Legislative Yuan at 1 PM to join their demonstration, which takes place from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM.
  • Allegations circulate online that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is spying on organizers of overseas solidarity rallies with the Sunflower Movement, as took place during the martial law period.
  • Uni-President Enterprises president Alex Lo (羅智先) expresses support for the CSSTA.
  • Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) meets Tsay Ting-Kuei (蔡丁貴) at the side of the Legislative Yuan to offer his regards. [3]

Democracy Kuroshio gathered in Noncun Park in Banqiao. Photo credit: Democracy Kuroshio/Facebook
  • The Association of Parent Participating Education in Taiwan (親子教育促進會) leads three hundred families in discussion about the effects of the CSSTA on-site. [4]
  • Terry Guo (郭台銘), CEO of FoxConn, contacts student occupiers, asking if he could be allowed to speak at the occupation site and express his concern for students. But, in light of Guo’s deep Blue ideological stance, and the possibility that he might seek to co-opt the students, he is refused.
  • Movement leaders, including Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷), Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆), Huang Kuo-Chang (黃國昌), and others begin to leave the Legislative Yuan site to give talks around all of Taiwan’s cities and municipalities in an effort to allow citizens to engage with movement leaders. Many of these talks are widely attended. One talk with Chen Wei-Ting at National Tsinghua University has over 1,000 students in attendance, for example. [5]
  • Wang Jinpyng (王金平) states that continued student occupation will lead to police force being used against them. Rumors are that Wang plans on allowing police to remove protesters.

Johanne Liou, Photo credit: Internet
  • Controversy is sparked by CiTV talk show host Peng Hua-Gan (彭華幹) making lewd comments about how Sunflower Movement demonstrator Johanne Liou (劉喬安) was dressed during a photo shot of her during the occupation. This led to public outrage regarding Peng’s sexist views, with Peng later apologizing on April 8th.
  • Control Yuan report reveals that Chang Ching-Chung (張慶忠) is quite wealthy, having 143 registered properties in Taiwan, also holding 388 million NT in stock and bonds,790 million NT in obligations and NT$19.5 million in investments, 20.8 million NT in savings and 9.1 million NT in jewelry.
  • More than one hundred children and parents celebrate Women and Children’s Day by demonstrating in support of students outside the Legislative Yuan.
  • Tourist industry groups express support for the CSSTA, in order to maintain cross-strait tourism.

405

  • 17 labor unions assemble outside of the Legislative Yuan and declare their support of the movement. Labor unions state that as members of working class, the CSSTA will not improve their lives, and that as a neoliberal free trade policy, the policy is all the more likely to impoverish them. Some clashes with the police occur.
  • Democracy Kuroshio’s project to recall KMT legislators continues, holding demonstrations at 5 PM in Tamsui to call for the recall of KMT legislator Wu Yu-Sheng (吳育昇). Several hundred attend.
  • Three “People’s Assemblies” (人民會議) are held at the Legislative Yuan, in a manner perhaps reminiscent of the “working groups” of Occupy Wall Street and other, similar movements. The first is held in morning on Qingdao Road, the second session in the parking lot of the Legislative Yuan in the afternoon, and the third at night on Jinan Road. Over 1,000 attend the night session.

Democracy Kuroshio demonstrating in Tamsui. Photo credit: Democracy Kuroshio/Facebook
  • These people’s councils takes place with individuals splitting off into different working groups in order to discuss various topics ranging from the CSSTA itself or the contents of the cross-straits oversight bill, to gender/sexuality, labor issues, indigenous issues, the anti-nuclear movement, gentrification, the environment, etc., and then reporting back on what they discussed. A report is later produced summarizing what was discussed at these assemblies. Much discussion focuses on the different stances between movement participants regarding the CSSTA itself, the black box, or free trade more generally.
  • Anger is provoked through a letter posted on PTT allegedly by Lee Shu-jen (李淑珍), wife of Jiang Yi-Huah (江宜樺), criticizing student demonstrators are authoritarian, irrational, and acting as if they were above the law.
  • Some compare the people’s councils to older forms of organizing in Taiwan during the Wild Lily Movement. In this way, they are a form of direct democracy. Very probably, why they were organized is as a reaction to criticisms of the movement as lacking democracy and transparency by the Untouchables’ Liberation District.
Primary Sources

406

  • KMT majority speaker Wang Jinpyng (王金平) attempts to enter the Legislative Yuan to meet with students and give public statements at 11:15, but is met by students blocking his path, sitting on the legislature floor.
  • Wang is accompanied by vice chair of the KMT Hung Hsiu-Chu (洪秀柱), KMT legislator Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池), DPP minority whip Ker Chien-Ming (柯建銘), and 20 other legislators. During his comments, which take five minutes, he vows to first pass legislation monitoring cross-straits trade agreements before passing the CSSTA (先立法在協商).

Photo credit: tomscy2000/Flickr/CC
  • Lin Hung-Chi (林鴻池), the director of policy for the KMT, holds a press conference at 1 PM stating that the KMT does not endorse Wang’s comments, accusing Wang of betraying the party, no doubt adding to Wang’s reputation of being a turncoat within the party. Presidential office spokesman Li Jia-Chi also states that the presidential office had no prior notice of Wang’s decision. Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) holds an emergency meeting with KMT lawmakers to devise how to respond to Wang’s actions.
  • The DPP, on the other hand, praises Wang’s actions. In response, the nine member core decision-making body of the Legislative Yuan occupation holds a press conference, expressing that this represents substantial progress. FoxConn CEO Terry Gou (郭台銘) also states that he admires Wang and is sympathetic towards the students.
  • Forums are held through the occupation encampment, focusing on the theme of “democratic constitutional government,” divided between a stage on Jinan Road and Qingdao Road. A march is also held in the area around the Legislative Yuan, setting out at 2:30 PM and returning at 3:30 PM. Over 3,000 attend this march.
  • Yeh Chu-Lan (葉菊蘭), the widow of Cheng Nan-Jung (鄭南榕), and a noted democratic activist in her own write, visits the Legislative Yuan, praising students for carrying on the spirit of her deceased husband.
  • Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄) and his wife, Fang Su-min (方素敏), write a letter praising students, Lin having been staging daily sit-ins in the Legislative Yuan since the occupation began.

407

  • At 11 AM, Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) declares today to be Cheng Nan-Jung (鄭南榕) Remembrance Day, seeing as today is the 24th anniversary of Cheng’s self-immolation. A variety of activities are held to remember Cheng Nan-Jung, remembered as one of the most significant martyrs of Taiwan’s democracy movement and the “father of free speech” in Taiwan, take place in the Legislative Yuan. These include activists mimicking Cheng Nan-Jung in declaring “I am XXXXX, I support Taiwanese independence.”
  • In the morning, Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) also meets demonstrators outside to discuss the next steps for the movement.
  • Rain on-site.

Remembrance of Cheng Nan-Jung on-site. Photo credit: othree/Flickr/CC
  • 126 labor unions collectively issue statement expressing support of the movement and lack of faith in the legislature.
  • Democracy Kuroshio holds a press conference outlining the next steps for the project to recall corrupt KMT legislators at 1 PM, stating that their efforts will expand.
  • May Day (五月天) holds promotional event in China, despite recent controversy over support of the Sunflower Movement.
  • Minister of Justice Luo Ying-Shay (羅瑩雪), a member of the KMT and a much hated figure by Taiwanese activists nicknamed “Law-in-shit”, a pun on the pronunciation of her name, states in public comments that Sunflower Movement occupiers will be held responsible by the Ministry of Justice for their actions and any laws they have broken during the occupations of the Legislative Yuan and Executive Yuan.
  • Minister of Economic Affairs Chang Chia-juch (張家祝) gives talk at National Tsing Hua University to promote CSSTA.
  • Academics, including legal experts from Academia Sinica,National Cheng Kung University, and Oxford University criticize the Executive Yuan’s version of the Cross-Straits Oversight Bill as lacking strength.

Soapbox speech on 407. Photo credit: Duke Lin/Flickr/CC
  • Rumors that TECO in Poland has requested the retraction of a report drawing comparisons between police actions on 324 and Ukrainian government crackdowns in Maidan. TECO has a reputation for pro-KMT bias globally, despite being a wing of the government.
  • Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧) states that the Ministry of Education or any schools in Taiwan will not take punitive actions against students.
  • Taipei Computer Association president Tung Tsu-hsien (童子賢) donates 2 million to the National Police Association on behalf of technology companies supportive of the CSSTA.
  • At 6 PM, Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) and other KMT leaders hold a meeting in party headquarters to discuss ongoing circumstances.
  • Student occupiers ask that individuals who have withdrawn from the Legislative Yuan and other supportive individuals gather on-site at the occupation encampment at 6 PM for an important matter.
  • At 9 PM, student occupiers announce their planned withdrawal from the Legislative Yuan on April 10th, stating that while their full goals have not yet been accomplished, for now it is time to retreat to continue the fight outside of the Legislative Yuan. The decision had been made among the leadership at 11 PM the previous night, and they sought to establish consensus in the time since.

Photo credit: othree/Flickr/CC
  • However, not everyone agrees with this. Reactions follow quickly from occupiers who have kept watch over the second floor entrance in and out of the Legislative Yuan for the duration of the occupation, who are seen as among the hardest working occupiers, with the view that they were not consulted before the decision to withdraw was made.
  • By 11 PM, those opposing a withdrawal have gathered on the side of the Legislative Yuan by Qingdao Road and are demanding that Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) and Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷) come out to respond to them. Wang Yi-Kai (王奕凱), a member of Le Flanc Radical, had previously rushed the podium during the announcement at 6 PM, declaring that the decisions of the group within the Legislative Yuan were invalid and undemocratic. In the late night hours, Lin Fei-Fan would late state that this was one of the difficulties of the occupation, that those outside of the Legislative Yuan could not participate in the decisionmaking process.
  • The Facebook page, “You Save Democracy, We Fix The Legislature” (你們保護民主,我們修復立院) is started to crowdsource volunteers with the skills necessary to repair the damages to the Legislative Yuan which occurred the occupation and raise funds necessary for repairs. Many are motivated by that student occupiers otherwise would be made to pay for the damages to the Legislative Yuan. This receives over ten thousand likes in one hour.
Primary Sources

408

  • With the impending withdrawal from the Legislative Yuan, students begin to clean up the occupation within the Legislative Yuan, as well as draw up estimates of what repairs need to made to the Legislative Yuan. Thousands have responded to the call for volunteers from yesterday.

Photo credit: Duke Lin/Flickr/CC
  • Experts from the General Affairs Department of the Legislative Yuan make damage estimates claiming that more than 100 million NTD in damage had been caused, and so repair efforts are in part prompted by skepticism over these high claims.
  • The KMT and DPP agree on a legislative agenda for when the legislature resumes meeting on April 11th, following the withdrawal.
  • Executive Yuan spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun (孫立群) states that the government did not anticipate protest over the CSSTA, but also lashed out at media for overinflating the issue, and claimed that students had been brainwashed by certain academics into having preconceived views of the CSSTA.
  • DPP city councillors urge a safe withdrawal from the Legislative Yuan without the use of police force against demonstrators.
  • Those opposed to withdrawal from the Legislative Yuan form the “Free Taiwan Front” (自由台灣陳線), composed of Le Flanc Radical, the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan, Anti-Media Monopoly Youth Alliance, and the Radical Taiwanese Independence Front (台獨積極陳線).
  • Speakers from FAPA speak at the Legislative Yuan.
  • Democracy Kuroshio holds a demonstration in Kaohsiung (高雄) against KMT legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順), with about 400 in attendance.
  • Noted activist personality Indie DaDee holds his first “Big Bowel Blossom Forum” on Jinan Road (濟南路), livestreaming the event on YouTube. This freeform discussion, in which participants are encouraged to blow off steam, attracts much attention online, drawing participants from within the Legislative Yuan as Wang Yunxiang (王雲祥) and Li Junda (李俊達), as well as Chthonic frontman Freddy Lim (林昶佐), and LTK Commune frontman Xiaoke (小柯).

The first “Big Bowel Blossom Forum” on Jinan Road. Indie DaDee is visible on the center-left, holding a microphone. Photo credit: Yu Ting Tsai/Facebook
  • While comedic in nature, frequently a target of jabs are Lin Fei-Fan (林飛帆) and Chen Wei-Ting (陳為廷).
  • Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) on the DPP posts on Facebook reflecting on anger against the DPP during the movement and the image problem of the DPP among young people, particularly with the view that the DPP had been too lax in confronting the KMT. The DPP’s central standing committee makes it a key task to determine why the party ended up playing a support role in the movement and how the party can fix its image problem.

409

The Legislative Yuan on April 9th. Photo credit: othree/Flickr/CC
  • News reports detail Wang Jinpyng’s (王金平) plans in first passing the cross-strait services agreement oversight bill before passing the CSSTA. This was in fact a stratagem brokered by Terry Guo (郭台銘), with Guo securing the agreement of Chen Gen-De (陳根德) of the KMT, and DPP speaker Ker Chien-Ming (柯建銘) in order to ensure bipartisan cooperation on the issue. Ker expressed agreement with the idea and that he had no inherent opposition to the CSSTA, which was why Wang had the backing to break ranks with the KMT in order to try and resolve the CSSTA issue when he did on April 6th.
  • As this comes only a day before the planned withdrawal from the Legislative Yuan, this stratagem of Wang’s proves a source of worry. The “Free Taiwan Front” (自由台灣陣線) holds a press conference vowing resistance until the end.
  • Minister of Economic Affairs Chang Chia-juch (張家祝) holds talk at National Chiao Tung University to provoke CSSTA, claiming that potential trade partners with Taiwan are now wary after seeing public reactions against the CSSTA.
  • Former World Bank vice president Justin Lin (林毅夫), who defected to China from Taiwan in 1979, states that Taiwan must embrace free trade.
  • KMT mayor of New Taipei City Eric Chu (朱立倫) unexpectedly states that Taiwan should not pursue China-centric economics, but should instead build ties also with southeast Asian countries.
  • Minister of Finance Chang Sheng-ford (張盛和) states that cross-strait tax agreements with China could be delayed because of delays passing the CSSTA.

Soapbox talks at the occupation encampment on 409. Photo credit: othree/Flickr/CC
  • Demonstration of several hundred individuals takes place outside CtiTV (中天電視) headquarters in protest of the networks’ slanted coverage of the Sunflower Movement, which then moves to the headquarters of KMT legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元).
  • Second floor occupiers rally on rooftop of Legislative Yuan as the “Second Floor Slave Workers”.
  • Democracy Kuroshio holds a march as part of the recall campaign in Neihu (內湖) with approximately 100 participants from 2:45 PM to 4 PM. Another march is held concurrently in Taichung, calling for the recall of KMT legislator Tsai Jin-long (蔡錦隆). A website for the recall project is established.
  • The Ministry of the Interior claims that any donations to the Sunflower Movement occupiers is illegal under the Political Donation Act and so could be punished by fines of twice the donated amount plus seizure of the donation. This seems meant to declare the“You Save Democracy, We Fix The Legislature” (你們保護民主,我們修復立院) activity to be illegal. The DPP urges leniency from Minister of Justice Luo Ying-Shay (羅瑩雪) regarding the treatment of student demonstrators.
  • Untouchables’ Liberation Area holds a party at night, to mark the end of the occupation, beginning at 7 PM. Songs sung at the party include “The Internationale” as well as the “The People United Will Never Be Defeated.”

Photo credit: othree/Flickr/CC

410

  • Students begin leaving the Legislative Yuan in waves throughout the day. Those on the second floor of the Legislative Yuan primarily leave around 4:00 PM and another wave of students leave around 5:30 PM. Some of those unhappy with the withdrawal leave earlier, around 3 PM, to express their displeasure.
  • 1,600 police are deployed to deal with the withdrawal. Members of the Special Police Sixth Headquarters are sent to take over legislature and forensic and fingerprint samples are collected from legislature by police.

Photo credit: Brian Hioe

The “Second Floor Slave Workers” leaving the Legislative Yuan. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
  • Jiang Yi-Hua (江宜樺) states that the civil society version of the Cross-Straits Oversight Bill, as submitted to legislature by Yu Mei-Nu (尤美女), is unconstitutional due to referring to Taiwan and China as separate political entities.Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) also states that the bill is unconstitutional. Deputy economic minister Woody Duh (杜紫軍)  calls the bill “ridiculous” and unfeasible. The Mainland Affairs Council criticizes the inclusion of human rights in the civil society version of the Cross-Straits Oversight Bill.
  • Lee Hsien-Loong (李顯龍), the prime minister of Singapore, states in an interview that he believes the Taiwanese government should handle demonstrations wisely.
  • Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) holds a press conference continuing to assert the need for Taiwan to pass the CSSTA otherwise risk being left behind by the international community, but also states that the CSSTA may be changed. The US denies claims by Ma that passing the CSSTA would be a precondition of joining the TPP.
  • Former Executive Yuan spokesperson Hu Yu-wei (胡幼偉) claims on social media that company executives have told him that they do not plan on hiring participants of the Sunflower Movement for fear that they may be disruptive against authority.

Sunset on 410. Photo credit: Duke Lin/Flickr/CC
  • Police force is used against those who refuse to leave the occupation, including members of the “Free Taiwan Front,” (自由台灣陣線) and particularly elderly members of the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan around 7 AM. This takes places despite a pledge from Taipei Zhongzheng First Police Precinct (台北市政府警察局中正第一分局) chief Fang Yang-Ning (方仰寧) at 2:30 AM that force would not be used.  In the chaos, Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan head Tsay Ting-Kuei (蔡丁貴) runs into traffic and is struck by a scooter at 6:40 AM.
Primary Sources

411

  • Netizens on PTT react strongly to the police force used against those who refused to withdraw from the Legislative Yuan. Wang Yi-Kai (王奕凱) of Le Flanc Radical calls for encircling Zhongzheng First Police Precinct (台北市政府警察局中正第一分局) at 6:00 PM.

The surrounded Zhongzheng First Police Precinct. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
  • As a result, several thousand individuals surround Zhongzheng First Police Precinct (台北市政府警察局中正第一分局) that night, demanding that police chief Fang Yang-Ning (方仰寧) resign in apology for his actions. Demonstrators refuse to allow police to leave and paste flyers and sticky notes over the entirety of Zhongzheng First Police Precinct. In mockery of when Chang An-Lo (張安樂) visited the Legislative Yuan with two hundred of his supporters and police did little to hinder him when he claimed to only be “passing through,” demonstrators also claim that they are only “passing through”.

Photo credit: Brian Hioe
  • Fang Yang-Ning (方仰寧) exit the police precinct to try to convince demonstrators to leave at 7:00 PM, but it is unsuccessful. At 10:20 PM, Taipei (台北) mayor Hau Lung-Bin (郝龍斌) holds a press conference urging citizens to remain calm and rational. Citizens do not disperse until Fang Yang-Ning announces his resignation shortly after, however. This is likely the last major event of the movement proper.

Aftershocks Of The Movement?

While the surrounding of Zhongzheng First Police Precinct (台北市政府警察局中正第一分局) was the last major action of the Sunflower Movement, defined in terms of the movement in resistance to the CSSTA, the energy of the movement continued for several weeks afterwards. Former DPP chairman Lin Yi-Hsiung (林義雄), whose mother and two daughters were killed by the KMT as retribution for his political activities, subsequently began a hunger strike against nuclear energy on April 22nd.

Lin demanded a halt to the construction of Gongliao (貢寮) Reactor No. 4, which is seen as particularly dangerous among Taiwan’s nuclear energy plants due to the use of mixed parts in its constructions. Although the anti-nuclear movement has deep roots in Taiwanese history, tied to the democratic movement, some also saw this as Lin’s attempt to redirect the energy of the Sunflower Movement in order to make sure that social movements in Taiwan did not ground to a halt.

Spontaneous demonstration outside the Legislative Yuan on April 22nd, the day Lin started his hunger strike. Photo credit: Brian Hioe

This hunger strike lasted for eight days, during which tensions in Taiwan ran as high as ever. Daily rallies were held in Daan Park in Taipei, along with other demonstrations. Some vowed violence against the government if Lin died, seeing as Lin is a well-liked figure in Taiwan, and was a major figure in the democratic movement.

Clashes with the police took place several times during this time, with one particularly tense standoff between protesters and police which lasted several hours taking place outside the Legislative Yuan on April 22nd, the day Lin started his hunger strike.

50,000 gathered on Zhongxiao West Road on April 27th, 2014. Photo credit: Brian Hioe

This finally culminated a demonstration of 50,000 on April 27th on Zhongxiao West Road, in front of Taipei Main Station, in which participants were called on to occupy the road and refuse to leave until the government gave into their demands. When some refused to leave, water cannons were used, and 3,000 riot police were deployed to drive them out (Public intellectual 58). However, although construction on the controversial Gongliao Reactor No. 4 was eventually halted, this did not become an object of public outrage as with the events of the Sunflower Movement. Lin Yi-Hsiung’s hunger strike eventually came to an end on April 30th.

 

[1] Chen Shunxiao 陳順孝. “Wang lu gongmin xingdong de jiti yanhua: Cong qiangjiu le sheng yuan, ye caomei yundong dao taiyang hua yundong 網路公民行動的集體演化:從搶救樂生院、野草莓運動到太陽花運動” in Sunflower Movement, New Citizenry, and New Media 我是公民也是媒體:太陽花與新媒體實踐. Edited by Chen-Ling Hung 洪貞玲. Locus Publishing 大塊文化出版社, Taipei (2015). Print. P. 6.
[2] Chen Shunxiao 陳順孝. “Wang lu gongmin xingdong de jiti yanhua: Cong qiangjiu le sheng yuan, ye caomei yundong dao taiyang hua yundong 網路公民行動的集體演化:從搶救樂生院、野草莓運動到太陽花運動” in Sunflower Movement, New Citizenry, and New Media 我是公民也是媒體:太陽花與新媒體實踐. Edited by Chen-Ling Hung 洪貞玲. Locus Publishing 大塊文化出版社, Taipei (2015). Print. P. 6.
[3] Zhou Fuyi 周馥儀. “Taiyang hua yundong shiliao xiaozu, zhoufuyi kanjian”太陽花運動史料小組、周馥儀看見 in Cong women de yanjiang kanjian daoyu tianguang: Taiyang hua yundong, wo lai, wo kanjian 從我們的眼睛看見島嶼天光:太陽花運動,我來,我看見. Route Culture 有鹿文化, Taipei (2014). Print. P. 178.  
[4] 
Zhou Fuyi 周馥儀. “Taiyang hua yundong shiliao xiaozu, zhoufuyi kanjian”太陽花運動史料小組、周馥儀看見 in Cong women de yanjiang kanjian daoyu tianguang: Taiyang hua yundong, wo lai, wo kanjian 從我們的眼睛看見島嶼天光:太陽花運動,我來,我看見. Route Culture 有鹿文化, Taipei (2014). Print. P. 180.
[5] 
Fan Yun 范雲. “Fan Yun kanjian” 范雲看見 in Cong women de yanjiang kanjian daoyu tianguang: Taiyang hua yundong, wo lai, wo kanjian 從我們的眼睛看見島嶼天光:太陽花運動,我來,我看見. Route Culture 有鹿文化, Taipei (2014). Print. P. 126.

 

Demonstrators from the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan and other groups refusing to withdraw from the Legislative Yuan occupation/Photo credit: tomscy2000/Flickr/CC