BBC journalist arrested in China’s Covid protests

Journalist Edward Lawrence was beaten and kicked during his arrest, according to the BBC. Pictures posted on social media show him being dragged to the ground in handcuffs. In another video, he is heard shouting: “Now call the consulate.”

The British General Services said that Lawrence was held for several hours before being released.

The BBC is deeply concerned about the treatment of journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai, says a BBC spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that the Chinese authorities did not provide any credible explanation or apology for the arrest.

Protests against the strict coronavirus rules are being seen in more and more places in China. At the same time, criticism is also being raised against the Communist Party and the demonstrators are calling for leader Xi Jinping to resign.

Large demonstrations in the open street are otherwise very unusual in China’s cruel dictatorship. But according to Borje Ljunggren, the former Swedish ambassador to Beijing, this is something that had to happen sooner or later, because of how much the “zero virus” line affected people’s mobility.

– It’s obviously boiling. Not surprising at all. It’s surprising, he says, that people can put up with so much of this.