Taiwan Protest Calls for Ban on Drug & Drunk Driving, Police Safety and Judicial Reform

On August 1, civil groups including the Chinese Human Rights Association and the Chinese Republic Life Rights Equality Association staged a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. The demonstrators demanded a ban on drug‑related and drunk‑driving offenses, the provision of equipment such as stun‑guns and high‑grade bullet‑proof vests for police, and reforms to the judicial system that would expand victim participation in court proceedings.

Several Kuomintang legislators attended, among them Lin Pei‑xiang and Ong Hsiao‑ling, showing political support for the crowd’s safety and justice demands. The protest also referenced earlier mobilisations by Taipei Mayor Jiang Wan‑an, who had called citizens to the presidential office square. Organisers highlighted rising incidents of drug‑driving in New Taipei and drunk‑driving in Taichung, urging the government to act swiftly to protect the public and restore confidence in law‑enforcement and the courts.