｜ Therefore, out of humanitarian considerations, the government would be unlikely to order a blockade there. Also, the building is within NTU’s campus, making it more convenient to mobilize people and, theoretically speaking, the military police could not just budge. Violin Melodies at the Protest — Support from Hu Nai-yuan On the afternoon of October 9, an unexpected supporter came to the scene of the protest—internationally renowned violinist Hu Nai-yuan. Ironically, Hu Nai-yuan was back in Taiwan because he was invited by the Office of the President to play at the National Concert Hall on the 10th and 11th in celebration of National Day. It is worth noting that Lee Chen-yuan was Hu Nai- Chapter 3 ｜ Protest: The Crucial 20 Days yuan’s uncle. Hu Nai-yuan’s father Hu Hsin-lin was the director of ophthalmology at the National Taiwan University Hospital. In 1950, during the White Terror era, Hu Hsin-lin was arrested by the intelligence unit for holding a reading group and jailed on Green Island for 10 years as part of the first group of political prisoners on the island. Hu Nai-yuan played two violin pieces on the spot to pay tribute to the 100 Action Alliance. It was the only time Hu Nai-yuan ever played at a mass protest, marking a moving and precious historical moment. Later, Minister of Education Mao Kao-wen arrived to see Lee Chen-yuan and expressed his hope that the sit-in would not interfere with the military parade. Lee Chen-yuan promised that it would not. NTU President Sun Chen called and said that they could have a sit-in, but he didn’t want “people unrelated to the school” there. October 9, 1991: Alliance conveners Professor Chen Shih-meng (center) and Academician Lee Chen-yuan (right), along with Professor Lin Shan-tien (left) called an international press conference condemning military police violence and announcing the decision to continue with the sit-in protest. Photographer: Huang Yi-shu The noon of the 9th, Chen Cheng-jan was drafting the press release to announce the cancellation of the anti-military parade protest when he suddenly got word from Lin Ferng-Ching that the situation had changed and that alliance members were severely beaten in front of the Presidential Office Building. The press conference scheduled for that afternoon was immediately postponed to 6 p.m. On the other hand, the alliance asked students to immediately start mobilizing on campus. Everyone rushed to organize a sit-in in front of the NTU Basic Medical Science Building. By the afternoon, banners reading “protest military police brutality” and “hold those involved accountable” were hung up in the front of NTU’s College of Medicine. Students, religious 112 personnel, and other supporters of the movement successively joined the sit-in. At 6 p.m., the 100 Action Alliance held an international press conference, releasing images of the military police beating students and civilians. The alliance stressed that they would be conducting a peaceful sitin in protest against the military parade. Led by Lee Chen-yuan, nearly 800 professors, students, and other civilians sat in front of the NTU Basic Medical Science Building. They chose this location because the building is located on Ren’ai Road, which is close to the Presidential Office Building. It is also both part of a university and a hospital. The assumption was that the hospital would have patients and family members coming and going. October 9, 1991: The 100 Action Alliance conducting a non-violent demonstration in front of NTU's Basic Medical Science Building. Photographer: Pan Hsiao-hsia 113