Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor bans political activities on site

NANTOU (TVBS News) — Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp. (台灣菸酒公司) emphasized neutrality by prohibiting election and recall activities on its premises Wednesday (Feb. 5).

This decision followed public debate sparked by individuals collecting recall signatures at the Louisa Coffee Puli Brewery Store (路易莎咖啡埔里酒廠門市), prompting diverse reactions online.

The Puli store posted on Facebook, stating its commitment to providing a welcoming space while rejecting any party's political activities. Liao Chih-chien (廖志堅), a Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor spokesperson, compared the company's stance to that of government agencies, local governments, schools, and public transport stations, all of which ban political activities.

This announcement led to divided opinions, some supporting civic actions and others backing the store's position.

Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislators rallied behind Louisa Coffee, with Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) notably ordering Louisa beverages during a meeting. He remarked that coffee shops are businesses run by the people and criticized the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP, 民進黨) affiliates for causing disturbances with recall efforts, describing it as a loss of humanity and kindness.