TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)– Thousands of opposition supporters chanted anti-communist slogans as they marched in Taiwan's capital Saturday to protest a planned trade agreement with rival China that they say will undermine the island's self-rule and its economy.

Many protesters held signs reading “It's a Shame to Embrace Communist China” and “Protect Taiwan, Protect Our Jobs” as they marched several miles (kilometers) along a main thoroughfare in Taipei.
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party is calling for a referendum on the pact, saying Taiwanese have a right to express their views before it takes effect.
Organizers said they expected 100,000 people would participate in the protest in Taipei. Police did not immediately release a crowd figure.
The agreement is the jewel in the crown of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's policy of seeking closer economic ties to ease tension across the Taiwan Strait, a flash point since the two sides split amid civil war in 1949.