Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Brian Hioe
SEVERAL HUNDRED RALLIED in support of Palestine today, despite typhoon-like conditions in Taipei.
The protest march began at Liberty Plaza at 1:30 PM, where demonstrators assembled under the Liberty Plaza archway. The proceedings were delayed because of the heavy rain, with several speeches held at Liberty Plaza despite that the rain damaged microphone equipment, affecting the ability to hold speeches. The rally only set out shortly before 3 PM.
The start of the rally at Liberty Plaza. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Two speaker trucks guided the crowd through the city. One was for speeches and the other played electronic music, as played by the Taiwan Rave and Punk Solidarity Front For Palestine. Many members of the Taiwan Rave and Punk Solidarity Front For Palestine were part of the music-based activism in the years prior to the Sunflower Movement, such as the Anti-Nuclear Electronic Music Front, and were part of the Subaltern’s Liberation Area during the movement itself. While slogans were chanted alongside electronic music, that the speaker truck originally intended to be used for speeches did not have working microphone equipment caused the electronic music truck to be used for speeches instead.
The rally moved west in the city, then north to Zhongxiao West Road, passed by Ketagalan Boulevard and the Presidential Office. At Zhongxiao West Road, the protest moved east, stopping finally next to the legislature and Control Yuan. There, further speaker equipment had been set up.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
This allowed for the speeches that had previously been planned to finally take place, including comments by Hazem Almassry, a Palestinian academic based in Taiwan. Other speakers included representatives of progressive third parties, such as the Taiwan Obasan Alliance, as well as left pro-Chinese unification groups such as the Left Party, Labor Party, and People’s Democratic Party.
Participants in pro-Palestine protests in Taiwan have generally had a large range of ideologies present, ranging from civil society groups active in protests regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty such as the Bluebird Movement to pro-unification left groups, a relatively unusual phenomenon in Taiwan given sharp polarization between the major political camps in Taiwan. Other speakers were from Taiwanese civil society groups such as Amnesty International Taiwan, Green Citizen Action Alliance, the Indigenous Youth Front, Taiwan Non-Binary Queer Sluts, the Taoyuan Confederation of Trade Unions, the Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters, descendants of White Terror victims, disabilities rights organizations, and etc. An attack on peaceful pro-Palestinian counter-protestors by a member of the security staff for the Israeli representative office at a pro-Israel concert in May was criticized.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
After the speeches, a theatrical performance involving red paint thrown onto two individuals representing Gazans took place. The red paint was thrown by an individual representing Israel, who was then joined by an individual representing the US, as Israel’s backer, and Taiwan, as complicit and assisting in genocide. At the same time, attempted to knock out props representing drones, warplanes, and chips. The Israeli government was criticized for conducting genocide against Palestinians as part of its efforts to establish a Jewish ethno-state and Zionist project. Finally, at the conclusion of the performance, the two individuals representing Gazans held up a wild lily representing hope in the face of destruction, while another held up a doll symbolizing a beheaded Gazan infant in a clip that went viral online.
That is, the demands of the protest called on the Taiwanese government to uphold universal human rights in ending arms cooperation between Taiwanese companies and Israel. Demonstrators stated that Taiwanese parts are likely used in F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, AH-64 helicopters, unmanned drones, and military computer networks employed by the Israeli army in its genocidal efforts directed at Gazans. This occurs, according to protesters, because a number of Taiwanese companies have received orders from the US and Taiwan for arms manufacturing.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Companies named included Advantech (研華), Complex Micro Interconnection Company (圓裕), ADLINK Technology (凌華), E-Jet Aviation Technology (益捷), ChenFull International Company (千附), Gloria Material S-Tech Corporation (精鋼), Technology Corporation (榮鋼), Transcom Incorporated (全訊), Yefong Aluminum (燁鋒), and the Thunder Tiger Group (雷虎). It was brought up that Taiwanese companies take orders from Israel in the name of efforts to bolster Taiwan’s domestic industry against Chinese threats. Taiwanese politicians have often denied substantial links between Taiwanese companies and the Israeli military.
To this extent, the Ministry of Economic Affairs was called on to disclose trade records related to the manufacturing of military equipment for Israel, and to end the provision of funds, raw materials, components, key technologies, and personnel for the manufacturing of Israeli military equipment. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was called on to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine, rather than continuing to donate to Israel. Likewise, the government was called on to end connections between Taiwanese companies and Israeli arms manufacturers, with protesters criticizing the legislature’s Taiwan-Israel Congressional Association, established as a caucus to strengthen ties between Taiwan and Israel in February.
Musical performance. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Several musical performances took place, which included songs from the struggle against US bases in Okinawa, and Italian left-wing protest anthem Bella Ciao, which was sung in Taiwanese Hokkien. The rally ended shortly before 6 PM, with participants cleaning up before the protest permit ended. As there was not enough time for all groups that wished to speak before 6 PM, remaining groups that had not spoken were asked to post statements online.
Demonstrations in support of Palestine–occurring as a joint effort from a range of ideological positions–continue in Taiwan, then, more than two hundred days after attacks on Gaza by the Israeli army began, and after tens of thousands of Palestinians, UN aid workers, and others have been killed. More than 36,224 people, close to half of which are children in addition to nearly 10,000 women, are dead and the Israeli army continues to target refugee camps and humanitarian zones such as in Rafah.
Theatrical performance. Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Yet to date, the Taiwanese government has remained silent, instead continuing to emphasize its ties with Israel rather than see common sympathy with the cause of Palestinians. This occurs despite that a recent United Nations vote shows that an overwhelming majority of 143 UN member states are in support of recognition for Palestine, an ironic fact when Taiwan itself seeks international recognition as a nation-state.