Wang Hao Time》The bottom line of democratic competition ~ Looking at the boundaries of street politics from the "Yuyi Village Incident"

◎ Wang Hao

The mayoral election campaign in Taipei has entered a fierce stage. A well-known green shop in the Liaoning night market, the "Yuyicun" dumpling shop, had its propaganda supporting Shen Boyang (Yangliu) torn down just a few days ago. When Jiang Wanan's team was sweeping the street and passing by the shop on the evening of November 6, a large number of supporters stopped at the door and shouted slogans, triggering a controversy that was "akin to a siege and provocation." Jiang Wanan responded that it was "a misunderstanding" and emphasized his opposition to the campaign.

Jiang Wanan went to Liaoning night market to sweep the streets. However, when the group passed by the dumpling shop "Youyi Cun", which was publicly known as "Yi Yi Cun", a large number of people surrounded the door of the shop and shouted loudly many times. He was questioned about the mobilization and behavior of the gangster siege. (Excerpted from threads) Whether the incident was caused by out-of-control mobilization or deliberate pressure, this incident has sounded the alarm for democratic elections. In a mature civil society, business owners and ordinary people have the freedom to express political stances and should not suffer the psychological pressure or business disruption of mass gatherings. When a high-decibel campaign team stops in front of a store with different stances, even if the coach has no intention of provocation, the sense of oppression generated by the crowd gathering can easily cross the line between enthusiastic election support and street bullying.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan went to Liaoning Night Market to sweep the streets on the evening of the 6th and entered the "Yiyi Cun" dumpling shop to ask for votes. (File photo) The essence of elections is to strive for recognition, not to create confrontation and fear. In the face of the fierce election situation, in addition to verbal appeals for rationality, each camp needs to show its restraint on supporters and grassroots mobilization. Only by respecting diverse voices and maintaining the appropriateness of street interactions can democratic competition be prevented from degenerating into a zero-sum conflict that consumes social trust.