London (UK: Concerned by the treatment of its journalist, who was detained and kicked while reporting a continuing protest in Shanghai, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has raised concern about the punishment meted out by Chinese police.
The BBC expressed alarm in a statement over accusations that their journalist in China, Ed Lawrence, was beaten and kicked by police while being held. “The BBC is deeply worried about the detention and handcuffing of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was covering the protests in Shanghai. He was detained for several hours before being let go. The officers battered and kicked him throughout his arrest. This occurred while he was working as a certified journalist,” BBC said.
BBC journalist beaten, handcuffed, held by authorities, as China boils over zero Covid policy
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The BBC said it is very worrying that one of their accredited journalists was attacked in this way whilst carrying out his official duties.
“We have received no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, other than a claim by the officers who later released him that they had seized him for his own safety in case he spotted Covid in the crowd. This is not a believable explanation in our opinion “the statement continued
Meanwhile, massive protests continue in numerous Chinese cities. Protesters are even heard yelling in an extraordinary show of resistance against the zero-Covid policy “Step aside, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party “based on a CNN report
This large-scale demonstration appears to have been prompted by an apartment building fire in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang region, which killed at least ten people on Thursday and served as a catalyst for intense public outrage.
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