Co-organizers of the Feb. 28 human-chain event join hands and shout slogans during a preparatory rally at Taipei's Red House Theater yesterday.(Feb. 16, 2004)

Former president Lee Teng-hui, fourth right, and his wife Lee Tseng-wen, fourth left, call for the public to participate in the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally. (Feb. 21, 2004)

Former president Lee Teng-hui joins hands with members of the public during a visit to Kaohsiung Municipal Girls' Senior High School on Feb. 15. (Feb. 15, 2004)

President Chen Shui-bian joins Penghu residents beneath a statue of a fisherman during a campaign stop in the island county yesterday. (Feb. 23, 2004)

First Lady Wu Shu-chen (center) attends an event at a Christian church in Taipei's Wanhua District yesterday in preparation for today's ``228 Hand-in-Hand Rally.''(Feb. 27, 2004)

Residents from Kuantien Township in Tainan County join hands to form a long line on the Lungtien Bridge.'(Feb. 27, 2004)

Although Sean Connery did not appear in person at the hand-in-hand rally, he was still present. Participants in yesterday's hand-in-hand rally wear kilts and Sean Connery masks.(Feb. 27, 2004)

Aboriginal dancers perform to fend off evil spirits on the island of Hoping in northern Taiwan.'(Feb. 27, 2004)

Participants in Taipei County cheer and wave as a helicopter recording the rally from above flies by.'(Feb. 27, 2004)

Participants in the rally roll out sheets of colored cloth representing Taiwan's indigenous peoples as a symbol of ethnic solidarity on Hoping Island in Keelung, the starting point of the human chain. '(Feb. 27, 2004)

Nearly 10,000 Taiwanese gather on the old Hsilo Bridge during the island-wide human chain yesterday in Yunlin County, central Taiwan. The rally's supporters claim to have recruited at least 2 million people to form a human chain over 487km, extending from the northern port of Keelung to Pingtung County near the island's southern tip. Organizers and participants of ``Hand in Hand to Protect Taiwan'' hope the display of people power will focus global attention on the Chinese threat of nearly 500 missiles pointed at the nation.(Feb. 28, 2004)

Yes to Taiwan

President Chen Shui-bian, third right, and former president Lee Teng-hui, third left, link hands at 2:28pm yesterday during the million-people-hand-in-hand rally in Miaoli County.(Feb. 28, 2004)

One hundred bald men hold up balls bearing the number ``one'' during a DPP campaign event in Taipei yesterday to encourage the public to vote for No 1 (Chen Shui-bian's candidacy number) on the presidential ballot and ``yes'' on the two referendum ballots.(Feb. 29, 2004)

Participants join hands Saturday on Hoping Island in Keelung City, where the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally began. Some 2 million people took part in the rally, forming a human chain 500km along the length of Taiwan down to Pingtung County. While the rally was intended to unite Taiwanese, it has also stirred up ethnic conflict. Film director Hou Hsiao-hsien, founder of the Coalition for Equal Opportunity, warns that politicians can use such events to divide ethnic groups.(Feb. 28, 2004)