China: BBC staff member detained for covering COVID protest
The BBC reported on Sunday that one of its staff members had been detained and physically assaulted by police in China while covering demonstrations against the nation’s zero-Covid policy.
On Sunday, hundreds of people demonstrated against the government in the streets of China’s biggest cities, marking a rare instance of such a reaction.
In a statement, the BBC expressed its “great concern” over the treatment of journalist Ed Lawrence, who was detained and placed in handcuffs while reporting the protests in Shanghai.
According to the BBC, police battered and kicked Lawrence while he was being held in custody for several hours as a recognised journalist operating in the nation. Later, he was freed.
China: BBC staff member detained for covering COVID protest
The statement said that it was “extremely concerning that one of our journalists was attacked in this manner while performing his duties.”
The statement continued, “With the exception of the claim made by the officials who later released him that they had arrested him for his own good in case he caught Covid from the crowd, we have received no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities.
