LONDON: The BBC said on Sunday that one of its journalists in China was arrested and beaten by police while covering protests against the country’s zero-covid policy.
Hundreds of people took to the streets in China’s major cities on Sunday to express public anger against the state.
“The BBC is deeply concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering protests in Shanghai,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
According to the BBC, Lawrence, working in the country as an accredited journalist, was detained for several hours, during which police beat and kicked him. He was later released.
The statement said that it is extremely alarming that one of our journalists was attacked in this manner while performing his duties.
“We have had no formal explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, other than the claim by the officials who later released him that they caught him from the crowd,” the statement added. I arrested him for his own good.”
“We don’t think that’s a plausible explanation.”