British government summoned the Chinese ambassador to London following the arrest of Ed Lawrence, a BBC public broadcaster, while covering protests in Shanghai against China’s anti-covid policy.
Ambassador Zheng Zeguang he was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While the Executive is in contact with the journalist after being “hit and kicked by the Police” and being held for several hours.
The case came to light on Sunday, after the BBC reported on Sunday that Lawrence was arrested while covering the protests. The head of British diplomacy, James Cleverly, called the incident “deeply worrying”.
“Freedom of the press and freedom of demonstration must be respected” and “no country is exempt”, wrote Cleverly on Twitter, underlining that “journalists must be able to do their job without being intimidated”.
The reporter covered the protest in the city of Shanghai on Sunday, but which has seen aftershocks in Beijing and Wuhan, among other cities, against the lockdowns.
For this reason, the Chinese authorities tried this Monday to contain a protest movement of historic significance, in which the population demanded an end to the health restrictions due to the covid and more freedom, with a strong police deployment.
Upon her release, Lawrence tweeted to thank her supporters, adding that at least one Chinese national “was arrested after trying to stop police from beating me.”
Lawrence’s arrest came amid tension between Beijing and Londonamid strong criticism from the United Kingdom for restricting freedoms in the former British colony of Hong Kong and violent incidents recently recorded in Chinese delegations on British soil.
Last weekend, hundreds of people demonstrated in various cities in China against the lockdowns and restrictions imposed by the authorities to fight the coronavirus epidemic.
Unleashed by this mobilization, the anger that is shaking that country seems unprecedented since the bloody repressed pro-democracy demonstrations of 1989.
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.