Military Veterans Brawl Outside Taipei Parliament

"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

Related News Programmes

"); });

2018-04-25 HKT 19:30

Share this story

facebook

  • Protesters remove barricades set up outside the parliament in Taipei. Photo: AFP

    Protesters remove barricades set up outside the parliament in Taipei. Photo: AFP

Taiwanese military veterans on Wednesday scuffled with police as they tried to storm parliament in the latest of a series of protests against planned pension cuts.

Hundreds gathered outside the legislature's main entrance and some threw smoke bombs and water bottles at police guarding the building in central Taipei.

They also unsuccessfully tried to hurl an empty wooden coffin into the parliament compound's courtyard, television footage showed.

"How can the government unilaterally cut [our pensions] without our consent? The government is lousy, unfair and unjust!" said Wu Chih-chang, chairman of the Blue Sky Action Alliance which organised the protest.

Around 32 protesters were taken away after they climbed parliament's gate according to police. Others tried to pull down the gate using ropes and chains.

Some barricades outside the compound were torn down by protesters, while 15 officers and nine reporters were injured, police said.

Some protesters vowed to stay overnight as parliament was scheduled to review a pension reform bill for military veterans on Thursday.

Proposed pension cuts for the veterans are part of wider cutbacks in Taiwan that have triggered mass street protests as well as clashes inside parliament among lawmakers.

Last week legislators brawled in parliament as a draft bill proposed by the cabinet was being deliberated for the first time, with the opposition Kuomintang demanding President Tsai Ing-wen apologise to the veterans.

The backlash over the cuts is a major challenge for Tsai, who has seen her popularity rating fall since her election two years ago. (AFP)

RECENT NEWS

Tycoon Sits China's University Exams For 27th Time

Among the millions of fresh-faced high schoolers sitting the nation's dreaded "gaokao" college entrance exam on Wednesda... Read more

China's First Home-grown Large Cruise Liner Undocks

The first large cruise liner developed by China completed its undocking in Shanghai on Tuesday, marking its complete tra... Read more

Chinese, US Diplomats Hold 'frank' Talks In Beijing

Meetings between senior mainland and US officials in China this week struck an upbeat chord, with both sides agreeing to... Read more

China's Cruise Industry Set To Make Waves Again

China's cruise industry, suspended for more than three years due to the pandemic, is expected to resume operations in th... Read more

Toll From Deadly Landslide Rises To 19

All 19 people caught in a landslide in Sichuan province on Sunday have been confirmed dead, state media reported, announ... Read more

'Nato-like Alliance Disastrous For Asia-Pacific'

Defence Minister Li Shangfu on Sunday told the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore that any moves to establ... Read more