Taiwan Church News 3240 Edition March 31 - April 6, 2014 Church Ministry News Global Taiwan Students Relay Their Protest Against Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement(CSSTA) On March 30 Reported by Chen Yi-shuan According to the Facebook page of "Protect Democracy, Protect Taiwan", a website especially set up for overseas Taiwan students to voice their protest against CSSTA, it is estimated that there are thousands of Taiwan overseas youth appeared in 49 cities among 17 countries around the globe on March 30 demonstrating their support for the proposals of Taiwan's Sunflower Student Movement: Turn down CSSTA and Protect Taiwan's Democracy. In Japan, among Tokyo, Kyoto and Fukuoka, totally about 860 Taiwanese students attended the protest relay: 500 students in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park; 300 in Kyoto University; 60 in Fukuoka. Through a live video connection, these demonstrating students in Japan's different cities chanting their heartfelt support, "We people at Japan protect Taiwan", to the rallied crowd on the Katagalan Boulevard before Taiwan's President Office Building. In Germany, there are about 240 Taiwan students rallied against CSSTA in Berlin and Franfurt. Their speak out loud and chant "We in Frankfurt(Berlin), We protect democracy!". In France, some students have already started their protest against CSSTA from March 23 on Place de la Bastille. About 700 people rally in esplanade des droits de l'homme on March 30 to show their support for the Sunflower Student Movement. In UK, about 700 people attend the demonstration rally on London streets.The violent and bloody eviction of defenseless students by Taiwan riot police was impressively shown in black-and-white pictures. The hypocritical cosmetics of Ma Ying-jeou regime as an democratically government is thoroughly exposed. In the cities among Australia and New Zealand, over 2100 people join into this movement within only one week's time. In New York's Times Square, about 1,000 overseas Taiwanese rally. They wear in black shirts with sunflower in hands, pay their tributes to the students and pray for Taiwan's democracy at this most critical moment. In Toronto of Canada, there are over 300 people gathered in the snowy weather to send their support and bless back to Taiwan. Translated by Peter Wolfe |