Hong Kong protester dragged into Manchester Chinese consulate grounds and beaten up

A Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was pulled into Chinese consulate grounds successful Manchester connected Sunday and beaten up.

A BBC writer connected the country filmed unidentified men coming retired of the consulate and forcing a antheral wrong the compound, earlier helium escaped with the assistance of constabulary and different demonstrators.

The protester told the BBC "they dragged maine inside, they bushed maine up".

A consulate spokesperson said protesters had displayed an insulting representation of China's president.

The Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking clarity connected the incident.

Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation.

Speaking aft the incident, the protester, called Bob, told BBC Chinese that "mainlanders" - radical from mainland China - had travel retired of the consulate and destroyed their posters.

"As we tried to halt them, they dragged maine inside, they bushed maine up," helium said, adding that helium was past pulled retired by the police.

"It's ridiculous. They shouldn't person done that. We are expected to person state to accidental immoderate we privation present [in the UK]."

BBC Chinese newsman Lok Lee, who witnessed the incident, said consulate unit had antecedently asked the protesters to determination to the other broadside of the street.

There were 2 constabulary officers contiguous astatine the protest, helium said, but respective much appeared wrong minutes of the altercation beginning.

They gathered astatine the gates of the compound trying to interruption up the warring and determination protesters back.

One constabulary serviceman entered the consulate grounds and pulled the antheral who had been dragged wrong backmost out.

At slightest 8 men, immoderate of whom were wearing helmets and protective vests, past returned to the consulate building.

The consulate is connected UK soil, but cannot beryllium entered without consent. Any offence committed connected diplomatic premises is taxable to UK law, but employees whitethorn clasp diplomatic immunity.

Reacting connected Twitter, erstwhile Conservative person Iain Duncan Smith said the UK authorities should request a afloat apology from the Chinese ambassador, and that those progressive should beryllium sent backmost to China.

President Xi Jinping, who is acceptable to unafraid a 3rd word successful power, said helium had turned the concern successful Hong Kong from "chaos to governance", referring to China's suppression of pro-democracy protests there.

I was astatine the country shooting a diagnostic communicative successful Manchester, and I did not deliberation this peaceful protestation could beryllium escalated to clashes with radical from the Chinese consulate.

Most radical were precise shocked.

The constabulary tried precise hard to halt the men dragging the protester done the gates, with the assistance of immoderate different protesters.

When it was implicit and the antheral was backmost outside, the assemblage was truly angry.

People were shouting astatine the men from the consulate, and speaking angrily to the constabulary arsenic well. They said the constabulary should person done more.

It was a hard concern for them, arsenic this was a diplomatic incident.

A spokesperson for the consulate said the protesters had "hung an insulting representation of the Chinese president astatine the main entrance".

"This would beryllium intolerable and unacceptable for immoderate diplomatic and consular missions of immoderate country. Therefore, we condemn this deplorable enactment with beardown indignation and steadfast opposition," the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson said Greater Manchester Police was alert of the incident.

"Officers were contiguous and responded instantly to diffuse the situation," they said.

"Enquiries are ongoing astatine this clip to recognize the afloat circumstances."