The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) held a major rally in New Taipei’s Banqiao District on Sunday, drawing thousands of supporters as party leaders voiced fierce criticism of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and President Lai Ching-te’s administration.
Led by TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang, the protest targeted what the party called rampant abuse of power and wasteful government spending under the current leadership. Organizers estimated that around 6,000 people attended the event.
In a nearly hour-long speech, Huang urged citizens to stand up and “take back control” from what he described as a corrupt and irresponsible ruling party. The crowd chanted slogans such as “The people must take charge” and “Lai, step down!” in a display of mounting public dissatisfaction.
Also present was Peggy Chen, the wife of former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je, who is currently on trial for corruption. She addressed the rally with a call to action, urging supporters to hold the government accountable and protect the rights of future generations.
A central theme of the protest was opposition to the mass recall efforts initiated by the DPP’s legislative caucus. Huang accused the ruling party of weaponizing the Recall Act to destabilize the democratic process and retaliate against political opponents.
The demonstration followed last week’s passage of the central government budget, which was heavily amended by the opposition-controlled legislature. The joint efforts of the Kuomintang (KMT) and TPP resulted in NT$207.5 billion (US$6.29 billion) worth of spending freezes and cuts. Huang and other speakers defended the budget reductions, saying they were necessary to curb financial mismanagement and rein in what they called “incompetent governance.”
TPP organizers distributed manila envelopes containing documents they claimed revealed multiple government scandals and misuses of taxpayer funds. Huang encouraged attendees to circulate the materials to raise awareness and pressure the administration to answer for its actions.
The rally comes amid heightened political tensions and a wave of legislative recall campaigns, signaling a turbulent period in Taiwanese politics as opposition parties step up their attacks on the DPP’s governance.
