｜ October 10, 1989: Chen Wan-chen leading members in a protest on National Day. Photographer: Huang Yen-wen October 25, 1992: The Taiwan Jianguo Union stormed the Taichung District Court. Photographer: Chien Chiu-jung 84 Chapter 2 ｜ Lifting of the Martial Law: Defending Absolute Freedom of Speech October 25, 1992: The Taiwan Jianguo Union stormed the Taichung District Court. From the left are Chuang Chiuhsiung, Lin Yung-sheng, Chen Wan-chen, Lin Chyuehwei, and Ting Chih-ching. Photographer: Chien Chiu-jung October 25, 1992: The Taiwan Jianguo Union stormed the Taichung District Court. Photographer: Chien Chiu-jung group emphasized both theoretical ideas and practical training, even teaching volunteers how to make Molotov cocktails. On August 12, the authoritarian regime issued an arrest warrant for Chen Wan-chen, asking the police to forcibly arrest her and keep her in custody by the end of the month. The Taiwan Jianguo Union was not about to go down without a fight. They declared the establishment of the Taiwan Jianguo Self-Defense Force and issued the declaration Defense of the Freedom of Association for Taiwan Independence. From here, the Taiwan Jianguo Union began a 21day resistance and standoff. The atmosphere was solemn and defiant. Huge banners reading “Blood sacrifice to the Taiwanese souls lost in the February 28 incident” and “Defend the right to resistance to the death” were hung from the 3rd floor. On the 30th, as the deadline for Chen Wan-chen’s arrest neared, pro-independence scholars and student activist groups feared a repeat of the Cheng Nan-jung tragedy. They thus formed the Freedom of Association Action Alliance and organized a sit-in in front of the Union’s headquarters, launching a 30-hour hunger strike in solidarity with the Taiwan Jianguo Union. On the night of the 31st, the Taiwan Jianguo Union removed all the windows on the third floor facing the road. There were also 4 tanks of natural gas and boxes of Molotov cocktails on the balcony. Chen Wan-chen, the one wanted for arrested, implored everyone else to retreat from the headquarters, determined to fight the riot squad to death on her own. Downstairs from the headquarters was a natural gas supplier, making the situation even more tense. It seemed like an all-out conflict would break out at any moment. After some communication and negotiation, the police, not wanting to repeat the Cheng Nanjung incident, sought to de-escalate the situation and ordered the riot squad to retreat. However, a few months later, cadre members of the Taiwan Jianguo Union, including Lin Yung-sheng, Hsu Lung-chun, Tsou Wu-chien, and Chiang Kaishih, as well as exiled activists who returned from overseas like Chang Tsan-hung, Kuo Pei-hung, Wang Kang-lu, and Lee Ying-yuan, were all successively arrested and jailed, charged with “Offenses Against the Internal Security” under Article 100 of the Criminal Code. 85