China COVID-19 Protests: Leaked Video Shows Moment BBC Journalist Was Arrested After Being 'Beaten and Kicked' by Police

The BBC reported one of its journalists was attacked by the Chinese police. The incident happened while he was covering a demonstration urging President Xi Jinping to step down amid his harsh "zero-COVID" policy to curb the latest outbreak.

As reported by The Telegraph, Edward Lawrence, a cameraman for the BBC, was detained and cuffed while filming China COVID-19 protests in Shanghai on Sunday.

Chinese officials rejected the BBC's statement and stated the BBC journalist had not identified himself as a reporter.

In recent days, protesters in Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to the harsh COVID-19 regulations. This is the first instance of civil disobedience since leader Xi Jinping came to power.

According to CNN, the BBC issued a statement that reads: "The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai."

The BBC added that police officers "kicked and punched" the BBC journalist Lawrence while they were arresting him while working as an "accredited journalist." Lawrence was detained for some time, but eventually, he was released.

The news organization also said that the Chinese government didn't give any explanation or apology. The officers who eventually let him go said that they had arrested him for his own safety in case he caught COVID-19 from the crowd.

Chinese Authorities Deny BBC's Report

A foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing said that the BBC's story did not accurately capture what had taken place.

Chinese spokesperson Zhao Lijian dismissed BBC's statement. During a press briefing on Monday, Zhao acknowledged the detention of Lawrence but claimed that he did not identify himself as a journalist before he was carried away by police.

The Chinese official said that Beijing always invites foreign journalists to report in their country in accordance with the law and has offered loads of assistance.

Zhao also remarked that international journalists should comply with Chinese rules while they are reporting in China and the China COVID-19 protests.

When covering news events in China, foreign reporters are obliged to carry a government-issued card proving their status as accredited journalists, as per an ABC report.

Protests Continue To Intensify

Public protest is very unusual in China, where the Communist Party has tightened its grip on all parts of life, launched a massive crackdown on dissent, wiped out most of civil society, and constructed a high-tech surveillance state, according to 9 News.

Ten people were killed and nine others were injured in a catastrophic apartment building fire in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang's far western province, on Thursday.

The fire served as fuel for raging public outrage in the China COVID-19 protests since recordings appeared to show that lockdown procedures may have prevented firemen from reaching the victims.

Chinese citizens congregated in the streets of the country's major cities, from the commercial center of Shanghai to the nation's capital of Beijing, to mourn the victims of the Xinjiang fire, protest zero-COVID, and demand greater political freedom and democracy.

Students held demonstrations and posted protest materials on dozens of college campuses.

After widespread anti-lockdown China COVID-19 protests swept Urumqi, people in other cities around the country also broke down barricades and flocked to the streets in previously isolated neighborhoods.

Tags

China, BBC, Xi Jinping