(CNA file photo)

Taipei, April 24 (CNA) Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) suffered fractured ribs after being attacked by protesters outside the legislative chamber last week who were opposing a government plan to pass a bill on reforming the nation's pension system, his spokesman said Monday.

Cheng was on his way to a legislative joint committee meeting when he and other local government leaders and legislators were roughed up by the protesters against the government's plan to reform the pension schemes for public servants and public school teachers last Wednesday.

Chang Tun-han (張惇涵), director of the city's Department of Public Information, said the mayor did not seek medical attention until Monday, whereupon doctors determined that he had fractures of the seventh and eighth right ribs.

The fractured bones were treated, but it will take two weeks of observation to see if any further medical steps need to be taken, Chang quoted doctors at Han Chun Orthopedics Clinic (翰群骨科診所) as saying.

Chang then quoted Cheng as saying the injury has not affected his office schedule and he will not file lawsuits against the perpetrators, but he urged all members of society to engage in "rational discussion," as violence is never the way to solve problems.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tuan Yi-kang （段宜康), on his Facebook page, called on protest leader Lee Lai-hsi (李來希) to explain to the public what happened at the time of the incident.

(By Wen Kui-hsiang and S.C. Chang)
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