Mainland China envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) flied back to Beijing 7, Nov after his 4-day “ice-breaking” visit to Taiwan.
As the chairman of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), Chen, led the highest-ranked official delegation ever from mainland to Taiwan, to negotiate for new deals that set down agreements on direct shipping and flights, mail services and food safety [1]. It's said to be a historic leap on cross-strait tie.
In spite that Chen allegedly came to for the peaceful and constructive purpose that is to “enhance the economic cooperation across the strait”, people sided with the “one China, one Taiwan” principle viewed it more than abhorrent. Even though as many as 20000 police were dispatched to guard the visitors, swarms of Taiwanese numbered by 100,000, most of them mobilized by the present out-party Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), [2] still flowed to wherever Chen showed up to brandish their topmost hostility. It goes without saying to be a straightforward political demonstration to mainland that “you are not welcomed, F**K off!”
But the firepower is not only directed at the visitor. The Taiwan president Ma Yingjiu, has been railed against in these days for the crackdown of protests, speech freedom black-out, and the downgrading of Taiwan's sovereignty.
During the “Action of Seige” designed by DPP to trap the envoy Chen in the hotel, city police responded, unfortunately, in a way to catalyze it into a violent clash. On 4, Nov, when Lian-zhan, the Honor President of KMT was dining Chen at Yuanshan hotel, the alerted police guarding outside forced a shop across the street to shut down [3] the “Song of Taiwan” being played aloud. People exhibiting Taiwan's national flag and emblem were dispersed and blocked from the hotel, and speeches like “Taiwan doesn't belong to China” were muzzled [4].
The bloody clash finally broke out [5] at the night when the present KMT president Guo-Boxiong dined Chen on another hotel. The police were confronted by a group of thousands of agitated people, including a few aldermen. Stones and clubs were hurled, barricades were pulled down, and gasoline bombs were fired. More than one hundred police were injured, many of them sent to hospital, while the opposing party suffered as well, scores of the protesters injured or arrested. Chen is thereby trapped in the hotel for 8 hours until midnight, a quite embarrassing situation to the host. The Democratic Progressive Party played a major role in the incident by a fanfare mobilization.
In the days following, Taiwan witnessed a mutual accusation. The president of Republic of China, Ma-yinjiu, criticized DDP of irresponsible ,who rebutted that they were just calling for a protest against the government's crackdown upon speech freedom.
Taiwan bloggers gave enthusiastic responses. A GV post by Taiwan author I-FAN [6] shows the native bloggers’ anger with the way police restrained people's legitimate right to protest. Some of them moaned the value of democracy is lost.
Meanwhile, a broadcast is on air to record a sit-in [7] of college students and scholars in Taipei, against the resurgence of marshal law and violent authority in Taiwan.
But the other side of voices is not out of its momentum.
Blogger Xinhua posted his opinion [8] on Duowei blog, analyzing the motive behind DDP's action
民进党为了摆脱其深陷“阿扁门”贪腐案而无法切割、民意极其低落的困境，企图抓住陈云林到达台湾的机会，发动如影随形的抗议行动，动员绿营支持者“上街”抗争，重新制造岛内族群对立，以挽救其不断沉沦的态势。
民进党街头闹事、诉诸暴力的作为被国际社会看作是民主之耻，也遭到岛内舆论的普遍谴责…甚至台湾一些大学生不去质疑民进党的街头暴力，反而到台“行政院”门前静坐示威，抗议警察维安行为过度。显示出这些大学生对于“民主”的幼稚理解。
民主包含了和平、和解、和谐，包含着宽容、谅解、妥协，包含着沟通、协
商、谈判，恰恰没有街头抗争、聚众闹事，更不容许诉诸暴力。所以，民主首先是一种包容对方、严以律己的素养；“街头”运动显示一种浮躁不安，往往孕育着对抗与冲动，常常出现非理性、
无约束的行动，当自己的诉求久久实现不了时，会作出过激的反应，狂躁地向对手、向社会宣泄自己的情绪，导致社会动乱。
Without constraint, excessive action will be made when appeal is not satisfied, resulting in a tumultuous society.
没有法制，也就没有民主。你可以聚会、游行、自由表达，但必须在法律允许的限度内进行，必须依法申请，在规定的路线或场合进行，不得
妨碍公共秩序，不得影响交通，不得妨碍、更不得伤及他人，更不得威胁社会、乃至国家安全。
He conclude that, there is not a slight of democracy in DPP's actions.
On youtube, a comment was made following the footage of the clash:
hastobright [9]:
台灣的民主已經到了人民濫權的地步
不是暴民的選民應該站出來
不能再容忍這些假藉民主之名
卻破壞法治 欺負善良百姓的流氓
Those non-mob voters should stand out not to withstand such hooligans any more.
Now a critical question: is Taiwan over-democratic? Is citizen disobedience allowed to such an extent of violence?
Whatever clash is left on the island, CPC this time made itself a big gain. It wins popular support, embarrasses the Taiwan authority so that it can further pressure it near the mainland, and signs treaties with practical meaning. That might be why the chief of State Office of Taiwan, Wangyi, praised the home-coming Chen Yunlin: You don't disappoint your mission.