Taiwan #CongressOccupied: Wild Lily Turns into Sunflower

The Wild Lily is still the symbol to support the new-generation student movements that fight for democracy. Photo from Susan Bomin. CC: NC.

Wild Lily is still the symbol to support the new-generation student democracy movements. Photo from Susan Bomin. CC: NC.

The sunflower sent from the protesters inside the Legislation Yuan. Photo from Christine Hepburn. CC: NC.

A flower shop owner delivered sunflowers to the protesters inside the Legislation Yuan. Photo from Christine Hepburn. CC: NC.

The Wild Lily student movement took place in March 16 1990 at Freedom Square in Taipei is the most significant historical event that marks the democratic struggle in Taiwan. As a result of the movement, temporary provisions effective during the period of Communist rebellion in Taiwan was terminated and the Taiwanese congress was reformed in 1991.

Twenty-four years have been passed, in March 18 2014, another student movement took place in the Legislation Yuan in Taiwan. The students protest against the government’s black box process of the trade deal between Taiwan and China. On the third day of the demonstration, the media starts calling the action Sunflower student movement when a flower shop owner delivered sunflowers to the protesters [zh] as a form of support. The image of sun reflects people's hope to shed light to the black-box free trade negotiation between Taiwan and China governments.

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