2024 Taiwanese legislative reform protests

2024 Taiwanese legislative reform protests
Date	17 May 2024 – present (2 weeks and 3 days)
Location	Taiwan (Legislative Yuan)
Caused by	Attempted passage of bills granting greater powers to the Legislative Yuan
Goals	Revoke bills on basis of unconstitutionality Recall legislators involved in creating and voting on the bills
Status	Bill passed on May 28; The Democratic Progressive Party filed a lawsuit to seek a constitutional review
Parties
Supported by: Kuomintang Taiwan People's Party Protesters Civic groups Supported by: Democratic Progressive Party Taiwan Statebuilding Party Taiwan Obasang Political Equality Party New Power Party Green Party Taiwan Social Democratic Party
Number
Up to 50,000 - 100,000 protestors

The 2024 Taiwanese legislative reform protests, also known as the Bluebird Movement (Chinese: 青鳥行動), are a series of ongoing protests driven by the proposal and passage of a controversial legislative reform bill.

Background

In May 2024, a series of five "reform" bills were voted on and eventually passed by the Legislative Yuan that gave the body more oversight and investigative powers.

The proposers, the majority opposition coalition of the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, and supporters of the bill claimed the amendments were necessary to fight corruption and increase accountability. The Democratic Progressive Party, who leads a minority government under president and party leader Lai Ching-te, civic groups and some legal experts oppose the bill based on its alleged unconstitutionally, infringements of civil liberties and national security, and apparent targeting of the incoming administration.

Timeline

From 17 May 2024, protests broke out in Taipei and other places in Taiwan.

A heated and occasionally violent debate took place in the Legislative Yuan as the bill was voted on, which critics allege was completed in a rushed and opaque way. Opposition to the bill was expressed through protests across Taiwan, the largest being at the Legislative Yuan itself with up to 50,000 to 100,000 protestors at the most attended demonstration, making them the biggest series of protests since the Sunflower Student Movement. The protest movement was named the Bluebird Movement, which is orthographically similar to Qingdao East Road where the main protests took place.

May 24

On May 24, over 100,000 people gathered to protest the bill.

May 28

On May 28, the bill was passed, and over 70,000 people turned out to protest. Civic groups and students gathered near the legislature and expressed their concerns.

International reactions

Overseas Taiwanese in the United States organized a campaign promote the Bluebird Movement in support of the protestors, raising US$80,050 within three hours to feature a billboard in Times Square in New York City. Students and professionals overseas organized an international petition to protest the abuse of legislative powers, and signers include Taiwanese in the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

See also

• Sunflower Student Movement
• 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests
• 11th Legislative Yuan
• Presidency of Lai Ching-te