{"id":125132,"date":"2011-10-16T17:14:19","date_gmt":"2011-10-17T00:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=125132"},"modified":"2011-10-16T17:14:19","modified_gmt":"2011-10-17T00:14:19","slug":"occupy-taipei-attracts-300-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2011\/10\/occupy-taipei-attracts-300-protesters\/","title":{"rendered":"'Occupy Taipei' Attracts 300 Protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"
Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street demonstration that started in September and organized through social media sites such as Facebook,\u00a0 <\/strong>300 protesters\u00a0surrounded the Taipei 101 <\/a>financial center at 1:01 pm to draw to\u00a0attention to the unequal distribution of wealth<\/strong><\/a>. Several cities in Asia, including Seoul and Tokyo, have had similar protests. The China Post reports:<\/p>\n In a departure from conventional social movements, the organizers stressed that all the participants in the protest were organizers and spokespersons. All citizens were invited to an \u201copen-air discussion\u201d as a first step in the formation of a consensus on bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots. During the protest, onlookers and representatives of the media choked the surrounding streets. About 50 police officers were on standby nearby.<\/p>\n At 1:01 p.m., the 300 protestors tried to surround Taipei 101, but their number was just enough to form a semicircle. The protesters then went around the building, each with a hand placed on the shoulder of the person in front.<\/p>\n A downpour in the afternoon cut short the outdoor protest, and several scores of the protesters went inside the building, where they marched on the first floor, chanting slogans and singing songs. Some stores and boutiques were shut down while the rally was inside the building.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n