Police use excessive force against anti- InfraVest Yuanli residents

On 22nd April, German firm InfraVest Wind Power Co. (英華威集團) began construction work at its new wind turbine project adjacent to the fishing port in Yuanli (苑裡), sparking several protests by Yuanli Self-Help Organization against Wind Turbines (苑裡反風車自救會). On the 27th April, meeting with a strong police presence, a number of local residents and supporters of the protest were forcibly arrested, their freedom and liberty denied through the use of handcuffs, before being bundled into awaiting police vans.

Those arrested were detained at the police station for over 10 hours, before being transferred to the district prosecutor’s office. However, this failed to bring any halt to the controversy or resistance for this engineering project, which threatens both the health and livelihood of local residents. On morning of the 29th, local Yuanli residents decided to risk their lives by engaging in a peaceful sit-in on the road, where they blocked cement trucks entering the construction site; no one anticipated the rough and cruel treatment they would be subjected to by police.

Even more controversy was raised after 6 residents and 14 students were arrested without warning by police using heavy-handed measures. The 20 protesters were handcuffed, and thrown into awaiting police vans for merely engaging in a peaceful protest march. In the early hours of April 29th, three local Yuanli residents made their way to the construction site and chained themselves to the mast base, fully prepared to be buried in the cement. The police used hydraulic shears to cut the chains and yelled at residents who had mounted the tower cylinder; residents were directly handcuffed even before they had time to come off the tower.

In solidarity with the students’ sit-in, residents stood on public land, where they peacefully expressed their demands. They called on InfraVest Wind Power Co. to resist from forcibly continuing the construction project, and instead engage in peaceful dialogue with the residents. Incredibly, the police immediately utilized batons and handcuffs, illegally arresting 14 students on the scene, and taking them to the police station.

PeoPo 公民新聞 by 傑利

Police use excessive force against anti- InfraVest Yuanli residents
URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/111112

(以下是中文對照)
苑裡鄉親平和阻英華威施工 警上反銬爆執法過當

照片

英華威風力發電集團於苑裡鎮苑港漁港旁新設風力機組工程4月22日動工以來，苑裡反風車自救會有數次的抗爭行動，就在27日，苑裡鄉親與聲援者才剛遭到優勢警力強行逮捕，以手銬限制苑裡鄉親與聲援者的自由，強行押上警車，並將苑裡鄉親及聲援者扣留於警局超過10個小時後以強制罪嫌移送地檢署，爭議還沒落幕，29日早上，苗栗苑裡鄉親決心抵擋危害他們健康和生計的巨型風車工程，以肉身阻擋水泥車進入工地，並和平靜坐表達訴求，沒想到遭到警方粗暴對待。

苑裡鄉親和聲援的學生在公有地上以集會遊行的方式表達訴求，但現場警察在「未舉牌」的情況下，以警棍攻擊14位學生和6位鄉親，20人全遭強行銬上手銬,並且反銬帶上警車，引爆苗栗警察執法過當的爭議！三位苑裡鄉親在黎明破曉時分(4/29)，前往工地，用鐵鍊將自己綁在塔柱基座中，決心與水泥同葬。然而，警察一邊以油壓剪破壞鐵鍊，一邊對塔筒內的居民大吼，甚至在居民身體還沒完全離開塔筒時，就直接上銬。鄉親在公有地上和平表達訴求，聲援學生就地靜坐，呼籲英華威不要再強行施工，應該與居民好好溝通。然而，警察卻隨即動用警棍和手銬，將現場14名學生違法逮捕送警局。