The altercation occurred on Friday morning as lawmakers prepared to debate a proposal aimed at increasing government authority.

A fight breaks our in Taiwan’s parliament. pic.twitter.com/sjRp4ZYmp0

— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) May 17, 2024

Amid the ensuing chaos, several MPs surrounded the speaker’s seat, with some leaping over tables and others dragging colleagues to the floor. At one point, a lawmaker snatched a copy of the legislation and ran off with it.

Breaking News: A member of Taiwan’s parliament stole a bill and ran off with it to prevent it from being passed.
pic.twitter.com/k7Emz6wB6m

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) May 17, 2024

The brawl took place just days before President-elect Lai Ching-te is scheduled to assume office without a legislative majority. Peace was eventually restored, although not before footage of the fighting spread across the internet.

Taiwan’s two principal parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is poised to form the government, and the Kuomintang (KMT), the primary opposition, are fiercely divided over proposed reforms.

Among these reforms is a contentious measure to criminalize those found guilty of making false statements in parliament.The law, introduced by the KMT and its allies, has been denounced by DPP as “an unconstitutional abuse of power.”

This isn’t the first instance of physical violence breaking out in the Taiwanese parliament. Back in 2020, KMT members threw buckets of pig innards at Premier Su Tseng-chang and exchanged insults over the decision to ease U.S. pork imports.

Taiwanese lawmakers threw pig intestines at their opponents over a controversial trade policy with the U.S. pic.twitter.com/WSTdbbTUPv

— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) December 6, 2020

Compared to Taiwan, the U.S. Congress looks like a beacon of civility. Be grateful for small mercies!