Riot police cleared Taiwan’s Cabinet offices of scores of protesters opposed to a trade pact with China on Monday after a last-minute plea from President Ma Ying-jeou failed to defuse a five-day stand-off.
At least 58 protesters were arrested and dozens injured in the clashes which represent a sharp escalation in tensions over the island’s developing ties with mainland China. The police had been ordered to evict the protesters after the executive compound was occupied late on Sunday night.
Demonstrators had staged a sit-in at the Taiwanese legislature since Tuesday to protest the fast-tracking of an accord to lower the barriers on trade in services, making it easier for mainland Chinese companies to invest in Taiwan and vice versa. The sit-in had drawn crowds of supporters to the surrounding streets and demonstrations of support from Taiwanese living overseas.