There will be two, possibly conflicting, large scale political rallies on Saturday, December 21, 2019. Participants for the first will assemble at the Aozihdi Park at 1:11 PM and proceed along Mingcheng Road and then Ziyou Road, ending at Smile Park in Zuoying. Large crowds and traffic congestion are anticipated at all points along the route and intersections, and parts of the Kaohsiung subway will also be crowded before and after the event. Organizers estimate over 10,000 people will participate in this event.
Participants for the second rally, which organizers estimate to attract over 100,000 people, will assemble at the Kaohsiung Cultural Center at 1:00 PM and proceed along Wufu First, Second, and Third Roads, ending at the intersection of Qixian Second Road and Gongyuan Road. Large crowds and traffic congestion are anticipated at all points along the route and intersections, and parts of the Kaohsiung subway will also be crowded before and after the event.
Both rallies are scheduled to end at 18:30 PM.
Rallies and demonstrations take place in Taiwan from time to time and while normally orderly, even peaceful gatherings can become confrontational. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) urges U.S. citizens to exercise caution within the vicinity of rallies and demonstrations and if possible, to avoid these areas completely. Information regarding routes and locations, as well as public transportation and traffic concerns, can change rapidly, so all U.S. citizens considering visiting Kaohsiung on December 21, 2019, should closely monitor local media outlets and government websites for the latest information.
U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html, where current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information can be found.
For emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please contact the American Citizen Services Unit of the American Institute in Taiwan.
AIT Taipei Office:
100 Jinhu Road, Neihu Dist, Taipei City 11461
Phone: (02) 2162-2000; Fax: (02) 2162-2239; After-Hours Emergency: (02) 2162-2000
Email: TaipeiACS@state.gov
Website
AIT Kaohsiung Office:
5th Floor, No. 88, Chenggong 2nd Rd, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City 80661
Phone: (07) 335-5006; Fax: (07) 338-0552; After-Hours Emergency: (02) 2162-2000
Email: TaipeiACS@state.gov
Website
Calling from Outside of Taiwan:
Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
