A BBC journalist was “beaten and kicked by police” before being arrested in Shanghai on Sunday while covering one of the protests against the Covid-19 prevention measures imposed in China.
The British public broadcaster, through a spokesman, was “very concerned” to confirm that image reporter Edward Lawrence “was attacked” in Shanghai on Sunday, according to images shared on social networks, in which you can see police officers. dragging the handcuffed journalist across the ground.
“It is very worrying that one of our journalists has been attacked in this way in the exercise of his duties,” the spokesman added in statements to the British radio station LBC, quoted by the Europa Press news agency.
The BBC criticized the fact that he had not received any official explanation or apology from the authorities, “apart from a statement that he would have been detained for his own good, had he caught the coronavirus in a crowd.”
“We do not consider this to be a credible explanation,” a BBC spokesman said.
Edward Lawrence, who works at the BBC’s Beijing office, traveled to Shanghai to cover the protests in recent days.
China’s epidemic prevention measures are the most restrictive in the world under the Covid-19 ‘zero cases’ policy. The strategy includes isolating all positive cases and close contacts, locking down entire neighborhoods or cities, and constantly conducting mass testing.
In recent days, protests against the restrictions have spread to major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing.
The protests intensified this Thursday after the death of ten people in a fire in a white building of the confinement in Urumqi.
According to the assaulted journalist, in posts shared on his Twitter account, the police blocked roads and did not let people pass, after the crowd had increased.
“I saw the police arrest three people, two of whom confronted the officers. There is a silent tension until someone shouts, then the crowd sings and claps in support, ”she explained, after noting that the protests were peaceful and very controlled. policeman.
The Chinese capital, especially protected against outbreaks since 2020, is now experiencing the highest levels of contagion: according to the latest official report, more than 4,300 new cases were detected on Saturday, 82% of which were asymptomatic.
These figures, low by international standards but intolerable for the Chinese authorities, have resulted in restrictions and confinements that affect a large part of the population of the capital.
According to data from the National Health Commission, China broke the record for infections this Saturday by detecting almost 40,000 new cases, although more than 90% are asymptomatic cases.
Official figures show that around 1.8 million people are currently in quarantine, since the guideline is to transfer cases -including asymptomatic ones- and also, but separately, those who have had contact with those infected, to hospitals or isolation centers.
Source: TSF
