Several civic groups on the island of Taiwan launch a protest event against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on April 26, 2025. Photo: Xu Mengxiang from the Labor Party

Several civic groups on the island of Taiwan launched a protest event on Saturday, opposing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and condemning Lai Ching-te for inciting hatred within Taiwan island and forcibly pushing the public toward the brink of war. They also denounced the DPP for damaging cross-Straits economic and trade exchanges, making it difficult for agricultural and fishery products from Taiwan to be exported.

The event comes as the Lai's series of regressive actions have triggered a growing wave of denunciations from people across Taiwan Straits, who condemned his trampling of democracy and the rule of law, as well as its damage to the peace across the Straits.

Speakers at the event warned that if the DPP continues to rely on foreign powers and provoke confrontation with Chinese mainland, there will be no space left for peace in Taiwan island, and young people will face an unstable future. They called on the people of Taiwan to transcend ethnic and political divides and stand up against the DPP's attempt to seek "Taiwan independence." They urged all Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to share a sense of historical responsibility and jointly resist forces driving them toward disaster, according to a press release sent to the Global Times on Saturday by the Labor Party.

Wang Chuan-pin, Vice Chairman of the Labor Party, emphasized at the event that the DPP is actively cooperating with the US to hollow out Taiwan's industries. She emphasized the need to defend the rights of small and medium-sized enterprises and grassroots workers and urged everyone to courageously stand up against DPP's harmful actions.
 
Wang Wu-lang, secretary-general of the Labor Party, noted that Lai Ching-te has damaged cross-Straits economic and trade exchanges, making it difficult for agricultural and fishery products in Taiwan island to be exported, while industrial goods are now subject to high US tariffs. These developments have severely harmed the interests of farmers and workers in the island. 

People are now facing stagnant wages, soaring housing prices, and rising living costs, signaling that the DPP is ruining the lives of the people through its political agenda, said Wang.

Xu Mengxiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Labor Party, stated that the DPP, under the pretext of "security," is inciting hatred within the island of Taiwan and forcibly pushing the public toward the brink of war. This undermines the progressive values of democracy and leads the entire island down a dangerous path of historical regression.

Participants further stressed that the DPP's "green terror" has already targeted mainland spouses and other political groups and may extend even further. They warned that if the public does not rise up, everyone could eventually become victims of this "green terror." They invoked the memory of those who once stood against "white terror" in Taiwan's history, calling on current and future generations to continue fighting against today's oppression, and to defend democracy and the rule of law.

Addressing the livelihood issues that concern the public most, speakers at the event repeatedly pointed out that the DPP places ideology above people's welfare. Its anti-China stance has crippled Taiwan's economy and society, misallocating resources and distorting internal policies, thereby intensifying livelihood and economic crises. 

They stressed that the Lai Ching-te administration is using an anti-China strategy as a cover for its governance failures, leading to worsening economic decline, rising energy risks, and widespread public hardship.

At the conclusion of the event, the civic groups issued an appeal to people in Taiwan, chanting slogans such as "both sides of the Taiwan Straits are of the same family" and "we are all Chinese," which received strong and enthusiastic support from the public.

Meanwhile, the Kuomintang (KMT) party also held a protest against DPP on the same day, Taiwan-based outlet ETtoday reported. Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, attended the protest and delivered a speech. In his remarks, Ma expressed his dissatisfaction with DPP's actions, and criticized Lai's incompetence, stating that he cannot bear it anymore.

Taiwan-based media reported that Ma expressed concern that Lai's recent words and actions could lead Taiwan to a rapid decline. He mentioned that while the US imposed heavy tariffs, Lai and DPP authorities are helpless.