How Powerful Is the 'July 25 Anti-Toxic Oil' Protest? Media Figure Says Key Lies in 'Him': Could Severely Damage Election Prospects or Cool Tensions

The controversy over Zhonglian Oils' carcinogenic cooking oil continues to escalate, with Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an calling on citizens to take to Ketagalan Boulevard on July 25. The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party have also joined in support. Media figure Luo Youzhi posted on Facebook that if this 'anti-toxic oil' movement continues to intensify, it could deal a major blow to the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) 2026 local elections—potentially reaching 'Oppenheimer-level' damage. However, he noted that if President Lai Qingde responds appropriately, the protest momentum might be defused.

Luo emphasized that public anger was not only triggered by the food safety incident itself, but particularly by DPP spokesperson Wu Cheng's comment on a political talk show: 'It's not like I forced you to eat it.' He stated bluntly that the Taiwanese people's temperament is 'we can be mistreated, but we won't tolerate being spat on.' That single remark, he said, was enough to provoke strong public resentment.

Luo stressed that 'never provoke the mom demographic,' citing past social movements. He explained that food safety issues differ from ordinary political disputes—they directly affect family dining tables, children's lunchboxes, and daily cooking. If the government's response appears dismissive, public anger can spread rapidly. Issues like cooking oil and lunchboxes, deeply tied to household life, can become powerful forces for social mobilization when mothers feel their families' health and dignity are threatened. 'Don't even think about testing their patience,' he warned.

However, Luo also noted that there is room for de-escalation. He pointed out that mothers are also 'a group that can easily forgive' if the government sincerely admits fault and apologizes. He suggested that if President Lai Qingde ensures Health and Welfare Minister Shih Chong-liang and Food and Drug Administration Director General Chiang Chih-kang step down and apologize, the July 25 event could shift from a high-tension protest to a 'family outing to breathe fresh air.' He questioned whether, with one week to go, the DPP would 'genuinely apologize to mothers.'

More exclusive reports from Storm Media: · Will the Fed hike or cut rates? Guo Zhengliang predicts Wall Street's next move: Won't fully follow Trump's orders · Not just Cho Jung-tai and Shih Chong-liang! Stock crash, toxic oil scandal—she names the DPP's 'three liability figures': Support drops 5% in one week · Why did Cho Jung-tai agree to apologize for the toxic oil scandal? Media analyst says 'can't blame top KMT figures': Without apology, total collapse