A BBC journalist was reportedly beaten, kicked and arrested by police in China while covering anti-lockdown protests currently sweeping the country. Edward Lawrence, a senior journalist and camera …
In another he is on the floor, surrounded by five men, before being led away in handcuffs.
In a statement, a spokesperson for BBC News said: “The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai. He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police. This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist.”
“It is very worrying that one of our journalists was attacked in this way whilst carrying out his duties. We have had no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, beyond a claim by the officials who later released him that they had arrested him for his own good in case he caught Covid from the crowd. We do not consider this a credible explanation.”
Lawrence, who appears to have been released, re-tweeted the statement on Twitter on Monday adding: “I understand at least one local national was arrested after trying to stop the police from beating me.”I understand at least one local national was arrested after trying to stop the police from beating me.