British protesters are urging for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats a week after a Hong Kong national was dragged and beaten inside a Manchester consulate.
Hundreds of people gathered in the UK to denounce China and demand freedom for Hong Kong's people. The protest in Manchester, which was called "Say No to China," took place at St. Peter's Square at around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
China-UK Tensions
The event started with the playing of "God Save the King" outside of the Central Library, which was followed by "Glory to Hong Kong." During the two hours after, various speakers came to the stage to voice out their support for Hong Kong's independence from China.
Attendees of the event reportedly carried signs that had written phrases such as "Expel China," "Free Hong Kong," and even "Hang Xi Jinping." Similar signs were seen during the protest that took place right outside the Chinese consulate on Denison Road in Manchester's Rusholme last week, as per Yahoo News.
During those demonstrations, a violent scuffle erupted that resulted in several masked people dragging a protester by his hair and beating him up on the grounds of the consulate. A British police officer then intervened and stopped the attackers from assaulting the individual.
During a news conference in the British Parliament the Wednesday after the incident, the protester, identified as Bob Chan, said that he did not attempt to enter the consulate, but was dragged inside.
According to Sky News, the protester said the incident left him with cuts and bruises all over his body. Later, a senior Chinese diplomat who was seen in video footage pulling Chan's hair refused to comment specifically on the incident.
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Continued Protests
Instead, the consul-general, Zheng Xiyuan, criticized the way that the police and British government responded to the incident. The official said that the diplomats had hoped that law enforcement would step in to support them, but argued that they did not.
Zheng also showed video footage that he claimed proved protesters were the ones who attacked consulate staff. These included clips that involved them "knocking down staff, then running away." The official claimed that they also showed one protester "seizing a member of staff, without letting him go."
But when asked if he had already shared the alleged footage as well as the consul's assault allegations with police, he did not answer, instead calling it a "very special legal matter." a consulate source later said that they were already seeking advice from lawyers on what to do next.
Manchester police said that up to 40 protesters gathered outside the consulate prior to the incident with Chan and the Chinese diplomat. Law enforcement authorities said that a group of men later came out of the building and a man was dragged into the consulate grounds and assaulted.
A statement read that due to fears for the safety of the man, police officers intervened and removed the victim from the consulate grounds. Chan expressed his shock at the incident and said he was afraid for his family members who were still in Hong Kong, BBC reported.
