Two Men Sent for Prosecution for Vandalizing Taipei City Councilor's Campaign Billboard

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) – A campaign billboard for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Yen Jo-fang in Datong District was vandalized with red spray paint yesterday. Police investigation revealed it was the work of two graffiti artists, who have been summoned for questioning and sent for prosecution on charges of property damage. A netizen posted yesterday that Yen's campaign canvas at the intersection of Minquan West Road and Dalong Street in Datong District was willfully damaged, urging people to engage in politics rationally, as such actions would only lead to legal trouble. The Datong Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department issued a press release today stating that at around 9 a.m. yesterday, they discovered a councilor's campaign billboard in their jurisdiction had been spray-painted. After reviewing surveillance footage, they found two young men spray-painting various locations along the road, resulting in a total of three vandalized spots within the precinct. In addition to the councilor's billboard, a nearby convenience store's external electrical box and a construction project's canvas were also damaged. Police summoned the two men for questioning yesterday, and they confessed to the graffiti, claiming it was done on a whim with no specific political leaning. After questioning, the police transferred the two men to the Shilin District Prosecutors Office for violating the Criminal Code's provisions on property damage. It is understood that because the graffiti contained specific symbols, they are believed to be graffiti artists. The location was reportedly a hotspot for graffiti artists even before the campaign billboard was put up. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen)