The recently established pro-independence group Formosa Alliance on Oct. 20 organized a rally in Taipei to call for the right to hold a referendum against China’s plan to annex Taiwan. Despite opposition from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the rally drew more than 120,000 people, with some traveling from as far afield as the US, Canada, Australia and Japan.
The alliance is demanding a referendum be held in April, on the 30th anniversary of the death of publisher and pro-democracy activist Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), known internationally for his self-immolation in support of freedom of speech.
