During the 228 Incident, most schools suspended classes, and many students participated in the dissenting movements. Some students organized groups to maintain public order, while others took part in armed demonstrations in various regions. For example, young students in Taichung joined the 27 Brigade, and youth from Chiayi, Tainan, and other places participated in battles including the one at Chiayi Shueishang Airport.

In addition, students in northern Taiwan organized the Youth Alliance for the Self-Government of Taiwan Province to maintain order and planned to carry out armed resistance, including an attack on the arsenal in Jingmei and Machangding areas. They traveled to Wulai, requesting military support from indigenous tribes. However, due to poor communication and incessant heavy rain, these plans ultimately were not implemented.

Moreover, the founding of the Chung Yi Service Squad in Taipei was to maintain public order. However, in addition to more than a thousand students, hundreds of gangsters were also in the Squad. These gangsters robbed stores, intimidated civilians, and attacked post-war immigrants from China, which resulted in the students in the group becoming scapegoats targeted for government arrest and slaughter.

Shortly after the outbreak of the incident, young students in Tamsui, Taipei County, learned that there were guns at Tamsui Middle School. They broke into the warehouse and took away military training rifles, but most of the weapons lacked rifling and could not be fired. The students set up a defensive line at the site of today’s sports field in Aletheia University, where they confronted the Nationalist government forces. They even attacked military camps but dispersed at the end due to lack of weaponry and their inexperience in using weapons. These resistant actions became the justification of the subsequent suppression conducted by the Nationalist government military. The fact that military training firearms were obtained from Tamsui Middle School also became one of the major reasons that Principal Tân Lêng-thong was victimized.