Time: 8am - 10am

Date: October 10, 2008

Location: On the streets of Taipei City nearby to the Presidential Building

The Scene: The public was not invited to join in this year's R.O.C. / Taiwan National Day celebrations. We were told that in years past, everybody was allowed to participate. With the new regime - the KMT - now in power, many people I spoke with felt the new government was afraid of protests. Grandparents brought their grandchildren, dressed up in their very best, all to no avail. Veterans from WWII were likewise turned away from the police barricade, one man, at age 88, pointing to the police, and saying "bad" and then pointing to a picture of Chiang Kai-shek, which was strung around his neck, and saying "good". I even witnessed a group of international press who were not allowed past the police. As the clock struck 9:30am and the festivities started just outside the Presidential Building with the raising of the flag and a recital of the national anthem, the public of Taipei could not see or hear a word, unless they were watching their televisions. There was confusion in the streets and the people were not happy.