Ko Wen-je Allegedly Pepper-Sprayed at Taichung Campaign Event; Colleague Explains Presence

An incident involving alleged pepper-spraying at a campaign event for Taipei's former mayor, Ko Wen-je, has sparked controversy and highlighted the volatile nature of political campaigning in Taiwan. While accompanying a city council candidate at the bustling Fengjia Night Market in Taichung, Ko and several volunteers reportedly suffered respiratory distress after an unidentified individual allegedly deployed pepper spray.

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At that time, I was walking on Liu Qin-yu's left rear. The pepper spray was allegedly sprayed from the roadside, and I was walking on the side closer to the road, so I was not affected.

The immediate aftermath saw Ko and his team members coughing and covering their mouths, raising concerns about public safety during political gatherings. Adding a layer of intrigue, People First Party legislator Chen Ching-chun, who was also present, appeared on live television calmly eating sweet potato balls. Chen later explained that he was on the opposite side of the alleged spray and did not experience any effects, attributing the incident to two motorcyclists who passed by earlier, emphasizing a time lag.

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I saw Liu Qin-yu coughing, so I went to ask what was wrong, but Liu Qin-yu kept coughing and didn't say it was pepper spray.

This event underscores the intense political climate in Taiwan, where campaign trails can sometimes become arenas for confrontation. The differing accounts and the visual of Chen Ching-chun eating sweet potato balls while others were affected have fueled public discussion and online speculation. From a Taiwanese perspective, such incidents, while regrettable, are often viewed within the broader context of passionate, and at times, aggressive political engagement. The Liberty Times, as a publication often critical of political maneuvering, would likely frame this as a disruption to democratic processes, questioning the motives behind such actions and emphasizing the need for decorum and safety in public political activities.

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The two motorcyclists passed by at the beginning of the event. When the alleged pepper spray occurred, no motorcycles were passing by; there was a time difference.