Representatives of aborigine communities clashed with police in front of the Taipei City Government building on Tuesday during a protest at which the indigenous people demanded a reversal of the naming of the "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square," and called for Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin （郝龍斌） to apologize.

The Taipei City Council last Tuesday passed an extraordinary motion to rename the plaza in front of the Presidential Office the "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square." The square encompasses part of Ketagalan Boulevard, part of Gongyuan Road and the historical Chinfu Gate.

This was the second protest within a week by indigenous tribes who see "Ketagalan Boulevard" as a symbol of recognition of Taiwans aborigine peoples, as it was named after a Taiwanese indigenous tribe that originated in what is now the Taipei Basin.

On Tuesday the protesters chanted slogans demanding that Hau show up to meet with them, while at least six protesters ran across the police security line, which resulted in a tussle with the policemen at the site.

Raising banners that read, "Hau, shame on you. Hau tramples on aboriginal people," and "We reject a change of the name Ketagalan Boulevard by any means," more than 20 protesters, some dressed in traditional aboriginal costumes, called for the authorities to immediately abolish the new name, "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square," a change that they said brutally stigmatizes aboriginal tribes.

"Taipei City is a backward city. Other big cities pay respect to minority ethnic groups, but Taipei City is proceeding in a completely opposition direction," said Isak Afo, an Amis tribesperson and convener of the Aboriginal Labor Alliance. When reporters pointed out that the city government had not changed the name of "Ketagalan Boulevard" but will just add the new name on the road signs, Isak asked, "Why doesnt the city government put the new name somewhere else?"

He stressed that Ketagalan Boulevard symbolizes a big step in the aboriginal "name rectification" movement, adding that the original spirit of the boulevards name should be maintained in full.

Mayaw Kumud, a pastor from the Amis tribe, said that almost 99 percent of aboriginal people had benefited from Kuomintang largesse during elections. "We could not believe that the KMT actually did this （naming the area Anti-Corruption Democracy Square） to the aboriginal people. It is like the biggest joke in the world," Kumud said.

"Some say that we are staging a protest because we have nothing important to do. No, we too have important things to do in our lives. But in order to restore our ancestors dignity, we have to gather here to call on Hau to respect the full spirit of the name of Ketagalan Boulevard and to get rid of the name Anti-Corruption Democracy Square right away," he said.

Kumud said that aboriginal tribes have to express their deep agony at the naming of the "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square," and that they will continue to protest against the city government if Hau does not offer an apology to original tribes on the matter.

Deputy Chief of the Taipei City Department of Civil Affairs Yeh Chieh-sheng later came downstairs and accepted on behalf of the city government the petition presented by the demonstrators.

The city government later issued a statement explaining that the naming of "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square" was an act of showing love for Taiwan and cherishing the spirit of democracy.

"We have to fight against corruption. The naming of the plaza is aimed at cultivating the value of anti-corruption in the heart of every citizen," the statement said.

It added that the city government will not change or delete the name of "Ketagalan Boulevard," and that it opposed to any acts that instigate ethnic divisions in Taiwan.

Democratic Progressive Party Aboriginal Legislator Chen Ying, who was one of the protesters, said that the demonstrators will wait three days for the city governments response, after which they will launch another wave of protests if the city government fails to meet their demands.