Suspected of being sprayed with pepper water, Ko Wen-je: Social antagonism is hard to reverse once provoked
TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je was allegedly sprayed with pepper water during a night market campaign in Taichung. He used the incident to advocate for social harmony and warn against political polarization.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 18, 2026 at 15:34
- 🔍 Collected: April 18, 2026 at 16:01 (27 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 21:30 (5h 28m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Reporter Wang Cheng-chung, Taipei, 18th) The founding chairman of the Taiwan People's Party, Ko Wen-je, was allegedly sprayed with pepper water by an unidentified person while campaigning at Fengjia Night Market last night. Ko Wen-je stated today that once social polarization and antagonistic emotions are provoked, they are inherently hard to reverse. Therefore, he and the TPP advocate for social harmony, inter-party reconciliation, and cross-strait peace, urging people not to create antagonism.
On the evening of the 17th, while accompanying a party city councilor candidate to campaign at Fengjia Night Market, Ko was approached by an unidentified person who allegedly sprayed pepper water. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen stated today that she has instructed the police to speed up the investigation, adding that Taichung City does not tolerate any infringement on safety.
Today, Ko Wen-je traveled to Changhua County to accompany a party county councilor candidate on a campaign sweep. In a media interview, he pointed out that once social polarization and antagonistic emotions are provoked, they are hard to reverse. Thus, social harmony, inter-party reconciliation, and cross-strait peace are his and the TPP's stances, urging people not to create antagonism.
Regarding the situation at the time of the incident, Ko Wen-je explained that he was walking fast, felt a strange smell, and quickly held his breath to walk past, but others were caught off guard. He mentioned his eyes were still tearing a bit, but it was fine and didn't have any special impact on him. However, he noticed as soon as he stepped out today that there were suddenly a lot of police officers. (Editor: Lin Ke-lun) 1150418
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(Central News Agency, Reporter Wang Cheng-chung, Taipei, 18th) The founding chairman of the Taiwan People's Party, Ko Wen-je, was allegedly sprayed with pepper water by an unidentified person while campaigning at Fengjia Night Market last night. Ko Wen-je stated today that once social polarization and antagonistic emotions are provoked, they are inherently hard to reverse. Therefore, he and the TPP advocate for social harmony, inter-party reconciliation, and cross-strait peace, urging people not to create antagonism.
On the evening of the 17th, while accompanying a party city councilor candidate to campaign at Fengjia Night Market, Ko was approached by an unidentified person who allegedly sprayed pepper water. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen stated today that she has instructed the police to speed up the investigation, adding that Taichung City does not tolerate any infringement on safety.
Today, Ko Wen-je traveled to Changhua County to accompany a party county councilor candidate on a campaign sweep. In a media interview, he pointed out that once social polarization and antagonistic emotions are provoked, they are hard to reverse. Thus, social harmony, inter-party reconciliation, and cross-strait peace are his and the TPP's stances, urging people not to create antagonism.
Regarding the situation at the time of the incident, Ko Wen-je explained that he was walking fast, felt a strange smell, and quickly held his breath to walk past, but others were caught off guard. He mentioned his eyes were still tearing a bit, but it was fine and didn't have any special impact on him. However, he noticed as soon as he stepped out today that there were suddenly a lot of police officers. (Editor: Lin Ke-lun) 1150418
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship from you is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA 'First Hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.