Following massive protests, controversial laws in Taiwan that aim to enhance the authority of the legislature have successfully passed their third reading. These bills were advocated by the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who hold the majority of seats in the Legislative Yuan. Now, the Lai administration is faced with a major political dilemma on a scale not seen since the 2014 Sunflower Movement, all within the first week of assuming office.
The protests began late in the evening on May 17, triggered by young protesters’ outrage after legislators from Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), including disinformation expert Puma Shen, were injured in clashes with KMT legislators. The protests escalated from a few hundred to 30,000, according to organizers, on May 21, just a day after President Lai Ching-te took office. On May 24, approximately 100,000 people gathered around the legislature in what was dubbed the “Bluebird Movement.” Another 70,000 protested on May 28, with additional demonstrations planned in 15 cities across Taiwan and solidarity actions overseas in the U.S., U.K., and Europe. However, the protesters were unable to stop the passage of the contested laws.
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