Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/01/22
By: Claudia Liu, Wang Yang-yu, and Ko Lin

Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) Tens of thousands of protesters staged a sit-in protest on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei on Sunday amid a pension reform conference that was held at the Presidential Office.

The Alliance for Monitoring Pension Reform — a coalition of retired and incumbent military personnel, public servants and teachers — said that over 30,000 people attended the rally to express their anger over the government’s failure to invite them for discussions before putting forth its reform plan.

The protesters slammed the conference, saying that it was time for them to speak out, while a number of people near the Jingfu Gate vented their anger toward the government by tossing ghost money and shouting for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to step down.

Alliance convener Huang Yao-nan (黃耀南) said the members have been taking turns in a hunger strike for more than 96 hours, and that none of the alliance members were invited to the conference.    [FULL  STORY]