Temple Pilgrimage Team Scuffles With Police 宮廟違規遶境放鞭炮 警制止遭2成員動手

At around 8 p.m. on Dec. 4, Xinzhuang's Yufeng Temple held an illegal pilgrimage. Pilgrimage team members scuffled with police sent to the scene, resulting in the police firing 12 warning shots and using pepper spray. 

Members of a temple team that had been setting off firecrackers on the street weren't happy to see police arrive on the scene. As the situation quickly started spiraling out of control, police fired 12 shots into the air.

Around 8 p.m. on the 4th, New Taipei's Yufeng Temple started a pilgrimage. The temple did not get permission first. The pilgrimage team, which numbered around 150, set off firecrackers at the intersection of Xinzhi First Road and Fuhui Road. When police arrived, two members of the team refused to stop what they were doing and a scuffle ensued. The two men were taken into custody while the other temple team members left the scene after the police used pepper spray on the crowd.

Hsu Tzu-yin, Chief Detective, Xinzhuang Precinct, New Taipei City: “As the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control, we fired 12 shots into the air as a warning. We also sent close to 30 rapid-response officers to the scene.”

The two men, surnamed Tsai and Hsieh, respectively, were charged with obstructing officers in the discharge of their duties. The temple, meanwhile, will be fined by the fire department for holding a pilgrimage and setting off firecrackers without permission, which are social order maintenance violations.

青少年聚集，大街施放鞭炮，現場鬧哄哄，警方獲報到場，有成員還跟員警爆發爭執。這些人情緒激動，在口頭制止無效後，警方連開12槍喝斥，最終把場面控制。

警方調查，新北市新莊玉鳳宮4日晚間8時多，沒有事先申請，就直接上街遶境，陣頭成員聚集大約150人，還在新知一路與福慧路口，當街放鞭炮。其中，兩名男子不聽勸，更出手推擠，員警對空鳴槍後，依現行犯帶回，其它陣頭成員則在噴辣椒水後，也成功驅散。

新北市新莊分局偵查隊長徐子胤表示：「在狀況危急之下對空鳴槍12槍示警，以壓制現場的氣焰，隨即將近30名快打警力到場支援。」

蔡姓和謝姓男子涉嫌對警察動手，被依妨害公務罪嫌逮捕，移請檢方後續偵辦。宮廟未申請核准就遶境，則依《社會秩序維護法》裁罰，而違規放煙火，將交由消防局來進行裁處。