A man tells the BBC he was dragged onto the premises and beaten by staff at the Chinese consulate in Manchester. The incident is said to have happened during a demonstration by Hong Kongers. The British Foreign Office is asking for clarity in the case.
According to a BBC report, a protester was dragged onto the embassy's premises by Chinese Consulate officials in Manchester and beaten there. The incident in the English city is said to have taken place last Sunday during a pro-democracy demonstration by Hong Kongers outside the consulate.
A video on the BBC website first shows a man tearing down protesters' placards. Shortly thereafter, a scuffle breaks out at the gate of the consulate. Several men beat a person inside the compound before a police officer entered the compound and pulled the man out.
According to the report, several men, some wearing hard hats, came out of the consulate and removed placards from the demonstrators. A man later told the BBC: "They dragged me in and beat me up". A spokesman for the consulate said an insulting picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping had been hung outside the representation, according to the BBC. BBC images included a portrait of the Chinese President with a rope around his neck.
Manchester police say the incident happened around 3 p.m. local time. "Officials were present and reacted immediately to defuse the situation. The investigation was ongoing. The British Foreign Office said it was urgently trying to clarify the incident. Several British politicians called for the Chinese ambassador to be summoned to the incident.
