On September 9, 2006, the sit-in against corruption and for Chen’s removal formally began. Hundreds of thousands took part, twice circling the “Nazca Line” route.
At the sit-in, dozens of subwoofer speakers played “September Nine, A-Bian’s Days Are Numbered!” as hundreds of thousands of protesters on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei shouted for Chen to step down. The effect was overwhelming.
“President Chen, your authority no longer reaches beyond this building [the Presidential Office]. Will you step down and be a free man, or remain a prisoner of the Presidential Office? We want to oppose corruption and see A-Bian step down, so that we may understand integrity and honor, and know what propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame mean.”
As night fell over Taipei, the fine drizzle turned suddenly into a downpour, and the crowd sitting on Ketagalan Boulevard began to stir. At that moment, Commander-in-Chief Shih Ming Te, who had been seated below the container stage, rose without hesitation, strode onto the stage, and raised the “Bian, step down” hand sign. The crowd’s spirits lifted at once.
