The Taipei City Police Department have granted permits to the Red Shirts, allowing them to hold rallies on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the presidential building Sept. 9-11, a police spokesman said.

They area also allowed to hold another rally in a public square at the Taipei Main Station Sept. 15, the spokesman added.

But the police have decided that no rallies will be permitted in the area closely around the presidential building from Sept. 12 to Oct. 12, when preparations will be underway for National Day, said Huang Ching-fu, chief of the department’s security division.

But Taipei City Councilor Hung Chien-yi faulted the police’s decision, saying the Red Shirts should not be allowed to repeat their demonstrations that had stalled downtown city traffic for weeks last year.

Anti-corruption activists, calling themselves the “Red Shirts,” launched a massive marathon demonstration in front of the presidential building last September trying to oust President Chen.

Their campaign climaxed on Oct. 10 when hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets near the presidential building where Chen was presiding over National Day ceremonies.

Councilor Hung denounced the police for again “disregarding citizens’ rights” by letting the same group of people to stall the city’s traffic.

But the police department said that there is no reason for it to deny citizens their constitutional rights to hold public rallies.

It explained that Sept. 9, the first day of the Red Shirts rallies, is a Sunday, when traffic is not a major concern.

Although Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 are working days, the rallies will be held between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to avoid rush-hour traffic, the department said.

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