Three youngsters were filmed heckling a Taiwanese election campaigner in front of the Taipei 101 skyscraper when they were spotted by the police.
When asked to produce their identity documents (IDs), two of them claimed they were from America.
According to a tweet that shared the video, the incident took place on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Flashed rear and sang Chinese national anthem
In the video that has since been widely circulated on social media, one of the youngsters could be seen flashing his buttocks in front of the campaigner, who was holding a banner that read “Taiwan independence”.
(Warning: Nudity)
12.29 Taipei 101 #Taiwan: 3 Chinese students provoked Taiwanese who were campaigning for the election. When cops arrived, they backed down & said they were from #USA, but couldn’t show passports. After further Q, one changed to say he is a Taiwanese but still couldn’t show IDs. pic.twitter.com/bSbqEj8s2W
— ajmm 😷🎗 (@ajmm19923493) December 30, 2019
Another man was heard in the video belting out the Chinese national anthem, March of the Volunteers, while looking at the police.
A third man could be seen raising his middle fingers.
But when the police asked them to “come over”, they quickly walked away.
One of them shouted cao, equivalent to the F-word in Chinese.
The police officer then shouted at them, “What did you scold (say)?”
Claimed they were American and Taiwanese
Before the group could get away, they were stopped by two other police officers.
When asked to produce their IDs again, one of the man claimed that he was American.
Another man also claimed he was American.
The police officer then asked for their IDs, but in English.
He also said they need to show their passports if they are from the United States.
When the youngsters said they did not have their IDs or passports with them, the police officer said, “If you don’t have it, then it’s simple. Go to the police station to check.”
One of the men in the group then smiled while saying he was Taiwanese.
But that did not go down well with the police officer either, who scoffed, and said he should have his Taiwanese ID with him if he was Taiwanese.
Said police scolded them
When the police insisted that they go to the police station to check their identities, one of the men tried to explain to the cops that they did not understand what they did wrong, as they did not do anything to the campaigner.
The police officer then said, “But what did you scold me earlier?”
The man rebutted by saying, “You were the one that scolded me.”
That was when the police officer raised his voice and said, “I scolded you?”
“You said son of a b**ch and MOFO, you think I don’t know English?”
The men then appeared to take a different tack and explained their behaviour in a placating manner to the police.
One of the men could be heard saying they were not attacking the campaigner at all.
‘American’ said he was from China
When the man who claimed he was American talked to the police officer, the latter asked him again if he was from China.
He then admitted that he was indeed from China.
But when his friend next to him said he was from Taiwan, the police officer did not believe him, and said, “If you’re Taiwanese, would you say MOFO? Would you say son of a b**ch?”
The Chinese youngster then said, “I’m Chinese, but can’t I say son of a b**ch?”
The police officer replied, “It’s not that you can’t say it, you can say it but not to me.”
“And you even flipped me off.”
The youngster said, “I did not do that.”
“But I’m not pointing the middle finger now.”
But the police officer said the other two did that to him earlier.
The man who previously said the police was the one that scolded him, then pointed his index fingers, and said, “I’m not pointing the middle finger now, am I?”
To that, the police officer said, “You’re not doing it now, but you were doing it earlier.”
The Chinese man then told the police, “I can sing the national anthem to you now.”
The police replied, “You don’t have to sing to me.”
Background
Beijing has stepped up its reunification rhetoric towards Taiwan in the days leading up to the Taiwanese presidential election on Jan. 11, 2020.
It sees Taiwan as a wayward province that has to be brought back into the fold, by force if necessary.
China recently sailed its locally-built aircraft carrier, Shandong, through the Taiwan Strait on Dec. 26.
According to a senior Taiwanese official, this was Beijing flexing its military muscles in an attempt to “intimidate” non-aligned voters.
Taiwan has denounced China for trying to meddle in its democratic process in the days leading up to its election.
The incumbent, President Tsai Ing-wen, reiterated Taiwan’s sovereignty, and said China poses the greatest threat to the island.
If Tsai Ing-wen wins Taiwan election, she can thank China for it
Top image via ajmm/Twitter
