Hong Kong protester allegedly beaten at Chinese consulate in UK - CNN

Hong Kong CNN  — 

Police successful Manchester person launched an probe aft a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was allegedly beaten connected the grounds of the Chinese consulate successful the English city.

A pro-democracy radical called Hong Kong Indigenous Defence Force had staged a protestation extracurricular the consulate successful the bluish metropolis connected Sunday, successful absorption to the Chinese Communist Party Congress happening the aforesaid time successful Beijing.

Video of the incidental shared wide connected societal media shows a confrontation breaking retired connected the sidewalk extracurricular the consulate, with large shouts heard arsenic radical unreserved towards the gated entrance. The video past appears to amusement 1 Hong Kong protester being dragged done the gross into the consulate grounds and beaten by a radical of men.

The video appears to amusement section constabulary entering the grounds of the consulate to interruption up the violence.

Hong Kong Indigenous Defence Force alleges that Chinese consular unit were progressive successful the alleged beating, and that the protester was taken to infirmary successful unchangeable condition.

Greater Manchester Police said Monday they were investigating the incident, successful which a antheral “suffered respective carnal injuries.”

“We recognize the daze and interest that this incidental volition person caused not conscionable locally, but for those overmuch further afield who whitethorn person connections with our communities present successful Greater Manchester,” adjunct main constable Rob Potts said successful a statement.

“Shortly earlier 4 p.m. a tiny radical of men came retired of the gathering and a antheral was dragged into the Consulate grounds and assaulted. Due to our fears for the information of the man, officers intervened and removed the unfortunate from the Consulate grounds.”

“The antheral – aged successful his 30s – suffered respective carnal injuries and remained successful infirmary overnight for treatment. He is continuing to person our enactment for his welfare.”

The statemented added that presently “no arrests person been made” and that the probe was ongoing.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Liz Truss described the incidental arsenic “deeply concerning.”

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said helium was “not alert of the situation.”

“Chinese Embassy and consulates successful the UK person ever abided by the laws of the countries wherever they are stationed,” helium said successful a regular quality briefing. “We besides anticipation that the British side, successful accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention connected Diplomatic Relations, volition facilitate the mean show of the duties of the Chinese Embassy and consulates successful the UK.”

CNN approached the Chinese Embassy successful London for remark but did not person an contiguous response.

Video of the scuffle has been shared online by aggregate UK lawmakers, who person called for an probe into the alleged engagement of Chinese consular staff.

“The UK Government indispensable request a afloat apology from the Chinese Ambassador to the UK and request those liable are sent location to China,” ruling Conservative Party lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith wrote connected Twitter.

Conservative Party subordinate of Parliament Alicia Kearns besides tweeted connected Sunday that authorities “need to urgently investigate,” and that the Chinese Ambassador should beryllium summoned. “If immoderate authoritative has beaten protesters, they indispensable beryllium expelled oregon prosecuted,” she wrote.

Both lawmakers person antecedently been vocal critics of the Chinese Communist Party.

Prominent Hong Kong activists person besides spoken out. Nathan Law, a erstwhile lawmaker and pro-democracy fig who fled to the UK successful 2020, tweeted: “If the consulate unit liable are not held accountable, Hong Kongers would unrecorded successful fearfulness of being kidnapped and persecuted.” He urged the British authorities to “investigate and support our assemblage and radical successful the UK.”

Britain is location to large numbers of Hong Kong citizens, galore of whom near the territory pursuing the instauration of a sweeping nationalist information instrumentality successful 2020 that critics accidental stripped the erstwhile British colony of its autonomy and precious civilian freedoms, portion cementing Beijing’s authoritarian rule.

According to an online connection by organizers of Sunday’s protest, astir 60 demonstrators had gathered extracurricular the Manchester consulate to protestation “the re-election of Xi Jinping.”

The Chinese Communist Party Congress, a twice-a-decade enactment reshuffle and gathering of the party’s apical officials, kicked disconnected connected Sunday. Chinese person Xi, who came to powerfulness successful 2012, is wide expected to interruption with normal and instrumentality connected a 3rd term, paving the mode for lifelong rule.