PENSION REFORM PROTESTS PARALYZE TAIPEI DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC|抗議年金改革遍地開花 兵分七路遊行

The Tsai government's pension reform efforts have triggered protests among civil servants, teachers, and members of the armed forces. As the draft bill is submitted to the Legislative Yuan, the Taiwan Police and Firefighters League launched a series of protests across Taipei last night. The angry protesters engaged in physical altercations with police in front of the Executive Yuan, and traffic was brought to a total standstill on the intersection of Zhongxiao and Zhongshan Roads in Taipei. Protests against pension reform have reached a fever pitch, with seven parade routes and the demonstration spilling into Zhongxiao West Road in Taipei. One group sat down at the intersection with their flags, bringing traffic to a standstill. A truck trying to cross the intersection was swarmed by protestors, including one trying to climb in. The angry protestors got into physical altercations with police. The pushing between the two sides almost became full-blown fisticuffs. On the other side, a scooter trying to cross was stopped by the crowd. The intersection of Zhongxiao West Road and Zhongshan South and North Roads were occupied by protestors, and no traffic could get through. As the police tried to control the situation, the crowd took the chance to expand the protest. Another altercation between police and the protestors took place in front of the Executive Yuan. This demonstration by the Taiwan Police and Firefighters League was meant to protest the retroactive change to their pension plans. Retired General Wu Si-huai delivered their petition to the Legislative Yuan. ==WU SI-HUAI Military Spokesperson, Taiwan Police and Firefighters League== Retired members of the armed forces, civil servants, teachers, police and firefighters are drawing salaries promised by the country. This is not a pension, it's our salary based on law. Since when is this unfair? The Executive Yuan said that it respected the right to legal assembly. ==HSU KUO-YUNG Spokesperson, Executive Yuan== Protecting legal rights has always been the position of the government. We do hope that peaceful and rational communication is possible. Some pain is inevitable with reform, but in order to make the pension system sustainable, reform is necessary. Taipei City deployed nearly 1,000 officers to attempt to mitigate conflict in the demonstration sites. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 蔡英文政府推動年金改革，引發軍公教反彈，在草案送入立法院之前，台灣警消聯盟今天大動員，發起7路遊行遍地開花抗議活動，抗議者情緒激動，不只在行政院大門前與警方發生推擠衝突，台北市重要幹道，忠孝西路與中山南北路口，也完全被癱瘓，直到晚間六點，路口才恢復交通。 抗議年金改革的遍地開花行動、愈演愈烈，不只兵分七路遊行，還延伸到台北市的重要幹道忠孝西路！一群人手拿著旗幟，就坐在大馬路口，交通陷入癱瘓，有大卡車企圖想要衝過，遭到民眾圍堵，還有人要爬上大卡車。 抗議民眾情緒激動，還與搜證的警察發生衝突。 這一頭，雙方人馬從大馬路中央，一路推擠到路邊，差點上演全武行，另一頭還有機車騎士想衝過馬路，遭到攔阻。 忠孝西路與中山南北路口，因為被抗議民眾佔住，所有車輛動彈不得，只能靠警方疏導，而抗議民眾則藉機擴大癱瘓範圍。另一方面，行政院門口也發生警民衝突。 這場抗議活動，由台灣警消聯盟發起，為了抗議年金改革溯及既往，數百名軍公教人員走上街頭，還由退將代表吳斯懷等人，進入立法院遞交陳情書。 ==台灣警消聯盟軍系發言人 吳斯懷== 已經退休軍公教警消 我們領國家依法核定的薪俸 不是年金 是我們的薪水 有法源依據的 曾幾何時我們變成 不公不義的一群人 行政院表示，尊重合法遊行的權利。 ==行政院發言人 徐國勇== 維護合法權益 是政府一貫的立場 所以在這部分是希望說 能夠和平理性的溝通 改革必然會有一些陣痛 為了要領得到 領得久 讓年金能夠永續 改革也是必然會處理的 面對各地集結的抗議民眾，台北市警方出動近千名警力維安，希望降低衝突。 記者 台北 綜合報導