Taiwan: Brawl among lawmakers during discussion on govt’s handling of COVID pandemic

In a second shocking instance of a physical altercation on the parliament floor, Taiwan’s fuming lawmakers on Tuesday, Sept. 28 abandoned dialogue and charged at each other exchanging punches as the brawl broke out between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT). The two parties debated the COVID-19 policies and containment efforts when the opposition’s assailment of government triggered the lawmakers that shouted slanders and went berserk.

Ultimately, some of the party members breached the protective barrier and dragged a few lawmakers on the ground and hurtled blows, while others poured the water from the bottles at each other escalating the verbal argument into a physical fight. Some even rushed to the podium and asked the speaker to resign on spot, Associated Press reported on Tuesday.  

[Opposition Nationalist party lawmaker Chen Yu-jen, in the white shirt, is grabbed by ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers as she tries to climb onto the podium during a parliament session in Taipei, Taiwan. Credit: AP]

Argument descends into full-blown 'rowdy brawl'

Taiwan’s entire legislature “descended into a rowdy brawl” as the chamber's head, Su Tseng-chang, was opening his annual address on the government’s performance with respect to the policies related to national security, economy and the COVID-19 pandemic, the AP agency stated. As the members of the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang lost calm and exchanged blows, the speaker was able to deliver his speech amid the hoots and calls for his dismissal.

Nationalist party members flashed signs condemning the ruling government’s bias for COVID-19 quarantine policies for the pilots, reducing the isolation time period. During the initial days of the outbreak, Taiwan had exercised sweeping containment efforts such as mandatory 14-day quarantine for all Chinese pilots and grounding the foreign airline, effectively to control the spread. Taiwan at the time was hailed for keeping the pandemic well under control, although, recently, the island recorded 800 fatalities in one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in May and June since the onset of the disease. 

[Premier Su Tseng-chang, in the purple mask, tries to make a policy speech amid a scuffle between the opposition Nationalist party and ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers during a parliament session in Taipei, Taiwan. Credit: AP]

Last year, similarly, the Parliamentarians in Taiwan had hit the headlines for throwing pig guts at each other over an argument on US policy that would allow pork and beef imports into Tokyo. Opposition Chinese nationalist party (KMT) threw the intestines, offal, and exchanged punches shortly after the premier, Su Tseng-chang started the policy speech. Initially, the KMT members were reported blowing whistles during the session but due to the intervention of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, the clash blew into a chaotic fistfight as raw guts were flown in the air from the bucket and were later seen strewn all across the parliament floor in the visuals that were broadcasted.   

[Taiwanese lawmakers in November last year got into a brawl, throwing pig guts and insides on the parliament floor. Credit: AP]