By Wu Cheng-feng / Staff reporterThe Taipei District Court yesterday ordered the Taipei City Government pay NT$420,000 in compensation to protesters injured during a rally in the city against nuclear power plants in 2014. The court also ordered the Taipei City Police Department to pay NT$34,000 in compensation to companies for damaging their audio equipment. Early the next morning, acting on instructions from then-Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) to vacate the area, police used water cannon and batons to disperse the protesters. One protester lost their vision after being hit by water cannon and several others sustained bruises, while a woman lost her pants. The police action sparked controversy over the use of water cannon on protesters and prompted the government to establish guidelines for their use to prevent injuries.
