Hundreds of people from various groups yesterday vented their ire toward President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) outside the party’s 19th national congress in Greater Taichung’s Wuci District (梧棲), by chanting slogans and throwing shoes.

Members of the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan and the 908 Taiwan Republic Campaign shouted: “Step down, Ma” and “No to the service trade pact,” as they hurled shoes over police barricades toward convoys carrying the president and other high-ranking government officials when the vehicles arrived at the Taichung Stadium where the meeting began at about 8am yesterday. None of the shoes hit the vehicles as the protesters were barred dozens of meters away from the entrance.