1-1-2024 (TAIPEI) The 2024 New Year’s Eve celebration in Kaohsiung took a sudden turn on Sunday night, with a crowd disturbance reported around 9 p.m. Witnesses claimed to have seen someone brandishing a knife, causing panic among the attendees. However, the police have since clarified that there was no evidence of an individual carrying a knife, and the situation has been deemed non-threatening, allowing the event to continue.
As the chaos unfolded, people scattered in alarm, screaming loudly, and items were strewn across the ground. Spectators recounted that the pushing incident occurred during the performance of the band “Elephant Gym,” with the rear sections continuously surging forward, oblivious to the cause.
The lead singer of the band abruptly interrupted the performance, stating, “Someone has a knife,” before retreating and putting down their instruments. Subsequently, the other band members left the stage, resulting in a temporary halt to the show and causing a brief period of confusion.
The Kaohsiung City Government stated that, according to eyewitnesses who suspected the presence of individuals carrying small knives, a rumor circulated, triggering the commotion. However, upon investigation, no dangerous situations were identified, and no suspicious individuals causing harm to the public were found. Order was restored at the venue by 9:12 p.m., with only a few individuals sustaining minor abrasions due to the pushing.
The City Government assured that on-site medical personnel promptly assisted those with minor injuries, with only two people experiencing shortness of breath due to the crowd. After receiving care and resting, their symptoms improved, and the rest of the crowd voluntarily returned to the New Year’s Eve celebration site. No one required hospitalization.
Mayor Chen Chi-mai, interviewed on-site, commended the swift response of the police in controlling the situation. Following the report, law enforcement quickly secured the area, conducted block checks, and found no suspicious individuals. Additional police forces were promptly deployed, monitoring the area in blocks, and normalcy was restored.
The police revealed that eyewitnesses reported a man in his twenties, wearing a white baseball cap, a white T-shirt, and shorts. Allegedly, he engaged in a dispute with an older man at the scene, producing what appeared to be a fruit knife. However, no aggressive actions were taken, and upon witnessing the knife, the crowd began shouting and fleeing.
Authorities emphasized that the situation at the scene has been ruled out, and the New Year’s Eve program resumed without further incident. Xiang Bin-he, the director of the City Government’s News Bureau, confirmed that the on-site inspection did not reveal any individuals carrying weapons, and the situation has been resolved, allowing the scheduled performances to proceed as planned.
