On the evening of the fifteenth, nearly a million anti-Chen protesters from across the country turned the 5.5-kilometer area around the Presidential Office and the Yushan Residence red, drawing a red dragon through the Taipei night. The vast procession set out from Ketagalan Boulevard and encircled the Presidential Office and the presidential residence, the marchers raising the “Bian, step down” hand sign and shouting “A-Bian, step down!”
CNN broadcast the red tide as it happened. The CNN anchor said: “Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian is feeling the anger of tens of thousands of people who took to the streets demanding that he step down. Organizers claim this is the largest protest yet against corruption under Chen Shui-bian, including allegations that his wife and son-in-law used his influence to play financial games.”
When Shih Ming Te, commander-in-chief of the anti-corruption movement, reached the end point of the march at Taipei Main Station plaza at 10:30 p.m., he knelt in tears and addressed the people of Taiwan:
“Thank God! Thank Heaven! The power of the people can not only topple the greedy; the power of the people will also defend our nation’s democracy, freedom, human rights, and sovereignty. Tonight, the people of Taiwan have declared to the whole world that we, the people of Taiwan, are fully capable of sweeping away corruption, defending our democracy, and defending our human rights. Long live the people of Taiwan!”
