Hundreds of thousands march in Taipei

March 26, 2005 Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Taipei Saturday evening, as several political parties and the Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian voiced their opposition to the new anti-secession law passed by mainland China last week.

Protestors chanted "Oppose war, Love Taiwan" in what has been termed a "democratic carnival" in downtown Taipei. The "carnival" consisted of activities of different themes relating to Taiwanese national sovereignty and cross-straits relations.

Reuters news agency reports that organisers had hoped to attract one million people to the marches, but police estimate an attendance of only 230,000 so far.

"I am here to protest against a barbaric China who looks down upon the Taiwanese people," said Fan Wen-yi, a 70-year-old businessman. "The anti-secession law, simply put, is a law that authorises war. If they really see Taiwan people as their compatriots, why do they enact such a law?"