Manchester incident
Protester dragged and beaten up at Chinese consulate
10/17/2022 2:26 PM
One man told the BBC he was dragged into the compound and beaten up by staff at the Chinese consulate in Manchester. The incident is said to have happened during a demonstration by the people of Hong Kong. The British Foreign Office is seeking clarity on the matter.
According to a BBC report, officials from the Chinese consulate in Manchester dragged a protester to the embassy compound and beat it up there. The incident in the English city is said to have happened during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstration outside the consulate last Sunday.
A video on the BBC website first shows a man tearing down placards of protesters. Soon after, a scuffle broke out at the consulate’s gate. Several men thrashed a man inside the premises before a police officer entered the premises and escorted the man out.
Reportedly, several men, some wearing hard hats, came out of the consulate and removed placards from the protesters. One person later told the BBC: “They dragged me in and beat me”. According to the BBC, a spokesman for the consulate said a derogatory picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping was hung outside the representation. BBC photos include a picture of the Chinese president with a rope around his neck.
Manchester Police say the incident occurred at around 3 pm local time. Officials were present and reacted quickly to defuse the situation. The investigation was ongoing. The British Foreign Office said it was trying to clarify the incident immediately. Several British politicians called the Chinese ambassador to the incident.
