Taiwan's Political Showdown: KMT Rally Sparks Legal Questions

Police Respond to KMT Protest at Taipei Prosecutors Office Amidst Investigation

Amidst an ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities related to a recall petition against a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator, the Kuomintang (KMT) has found itself at the center of a new controversy. Following the summons of Huang Lu Jin-ru, KMT Taipei City Party Department Director, KMT Chairman Eric Chu rallied party officials to gather outside the Taipei Prosecutors Office.

The police, citing an unauthorized gathering, repeatedly requested the crowd disperse. When questioned about the legality of the KMT gathering during a legislative session, National Police Agency Director-General Chang Jung-hsing responded with a terse, "We are performing our duties according to the law."

The gathering follows searches conducted earlier in the week at KMT offices in Banqiao and Sanchong, New Taipei City, and then at the Taipei City Party Department. Facing these investigative actions, the KMT organized the rally outside the Taipei Prosecutors Office, declaring their stance to "fight against dictatorship." Hundreds of people began arriving around 7 p.m., prompting the deployment of 160 police officers for crowd control.