ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the genesis of the Sunflower Movement and provides an explanation for the occupation of the Legislature in an escalation of protests against the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA). It examines the actual occupation by the Sunflower activists and, more importantly, the cliques and tribes that emerged during the 23-day occupation of the Legislature and the extent to which the groups were able to coexist and co-occupy the space. The chapter also explores the aftermath and lingering effects of the Sunflower Movement, the splinter groups that emerged after the movement and their goals, and how political activism emerged from the movement has been transformed into engagement in electoral politics and campaigns, leading to the defeat of the ruling, pro-China Kuomintang (KMT) Party in the most recent election in 2016. It concludes by linking the processes and outcomes of the Sunflower Movement to a discussion on democracy and politics of public space.
