On December 1, 1979 , the Formosa Magazine's Kaohsiung services department petitioned the Taiwan Garrison General Headquarters for a memorial assembly on the Day of International Human Rights to be held on December 10th of the same year in Rotary's Park, but the application was turned down. Unpredictably, on December 9th, the Southern Taiwan Garrison Headquarters announced a winter anti-air raid drill to be conducted the following day, during which all assemblies were banned.

Despite this, the Formosa Magazine'spropaganda vehicles took to the street on the 9 th , announcing that the memorial assembly was to be held as scheduled. Hence, a conflict resulted between the crowd and the police. Among the rally participants, Yao , Guo-jian, Qiu Sheng-xiong were arrested. After that, Su Qiu-zhen, Shi Ming-deh, Zhou Ping-deh, etc. headed for the Gushan Precinct to protest. Through negotiations made by Huang Xin-jie with the Garrison Headquarters, its Southern Taiwan Office agreed to release the arrested, thereby making the incident known to all as the “Gushan Incident.”

With the outbreak of the Formosa Magazine Incident as well as the Gushan Incident, the dissidents became furious and thus decided to hold the memorial assembly on December 10th as scheduled. At 6:00 that evening, Huang Xin-jie made negotiations with Chang Chi-shiu, the Southern Taiwan Garrison Commander. During the negotiations, it was agreed that the human rights memorial assembly may be held at the Rotary's Park, but no rally, torches, wooden bats and gasoline bottles were to be allowed.

At around 6:30 in the evening, as Yao Jia-wen and others were informed that access to the park was restricted , Shi Ming-deh and Yao Jia-wen led the crowd bearing torches andand signboards, and wearing colored bands toward the rotunda at the intersection of Zhongshan Road and Zhongzheng Road for speeches, when the site was surrounded by policemen. In the meantime, Huang, Yao , and others kept up negotiations with the police, with the hopes of allowing the crowd in for speeches, but to no avail , thereby making the scene tense.

At around 10:00 at night, the police began dispelling the crowd by force, which ended in conflicts between the crowd and the police. The major conflicts were at the Great Rotunda, the intersection of Ruiyuan Road and Tatung Road, and the Formosa Magazine Kaohsiung office, This incident became known as “Formosa Incident” or “Kaohsiung Incident.”

After the incident, the media unanimously denounced the dissidents as mobsters for their assaults on the law enforcement. On December 13, 1979, the Taiwan Garrison General Headquarters banned the Formosa Magazine and all its local offices, arresting 14 participants, including Lin Yi-xiong, Zhang Jun-hong, Yao Jia-wen, Lu Shiu-liang, Chen Ju, Wang Tuo, Yang Qing-shu, Zhou Ping-deh, Ji Wang-sheng, Chen Zhong-xin, Wei Ting-chao, Zhang Fu-zhong, Qiu Yi-pin, and Su Qiu-zhen. Moreover, Shi Ming-deh, who fled, was wanted for arrest.

The following day, with approval from the legislation, legislator Huang Xin-jie was arrested too. The act was followed by the arrest of tens of others involved. On January 8th of the following year, Shi Ming-deh was arrested in Taipei City . The reverend of Taiwan Chritian Presblyterian Church, Gao Jun-ming, , Lin Wen-jen, Zhang Wen-ying, Shi Shu-yun, and others, who assisted Shi in fleeing, either turned themselves in or were arrested.

The Formosa Magazine Incident catalyzed intense debates in the international community, and became the major concern of International Human Rights Organization. On February 20, 1979 , after the 45 prisoners detained for the Formosa Incident were investigated by the military prosecutor, eight of them, including Huang Xin-jie, Lin Yi-xiong, Zhang Jun-hong, Yao Jia-wen, Lu Shiu-liang, Chen Ju, Shi Ming-deh and Lin Hong-shuan, were charged for rebellion by the court martial. Meanwhile, Zhou Ping-den and 37 others were sent to the judicial system for investigation.

The entire court martial process was open to the local and international media. On April 18th, Shi Ming-deh was convicted of life sentence by the court martial of the Taiwan Garrison General Headquarters, and Huang was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment, whereas Lin Yi-xiong and five others were each sentenced 12 years of imprisonment. During this incident, no one was sentenced to death. On May 30th, the Ministry of National Defense for retrial called a superior court martial.