Professor sues NSB, police over abuse during protest

As well as facing accusations of abuse of power, the police force was criticized after an officer carried an assault rifle at a peaceful student protest

Taiwan Rural Front chairman Hsu Shih-jung (徐世榮) yesterday filed a lawsuit against the National Security Bureau (NSB) and the Datong District police for illegal arrests and the falsification of evidence during a July 23 protest in Taipei against forced evictions and demolitions in Miaoli County’s Dapu Brough (大埔) last month.

Hsu is dragged away

Hsu, a professor of land economics at National Chengchi University, was dragged away by police officers during a protest against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) in front of the Ministry of Health and Welfare before being taken to a police station. Police said they had arrested him for offenses against public safety and for obstructing official business, though he was released later in the evening due to “lack of evidence.”

Hsu files the lawsuit

In the days following the protest, Central Police University associate professor Yeh Yu-lan (葉毓蘭) said that Hsu had attempted to ram Ma’s motorcade and that he had asked that officers take him to a police station, claims that Hsu has categorically denied. Hsu maintains that the protest was peaceful and that all he did was to shout slogans at Ma’s motorcade as it approached the ministry building.

My article, published today in the Taipei Times, continues here. (Photos #1 and #2 by the author; #3 by Liberty Times)