A BBC journalist was arrested after being "beaten and kicked by police" during protests against Covid-19 measures in Shanghai, China. The broadcaster said it was "very concerned" after cameraman Edward Lawrence "was attacked" on Sunday.
Footage emerged on social media showing Lawrence being dragged to the ground in handcuffs, while in another he said "Call the consulate now". A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai.
“He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest he was beaten and kicked by police.
“This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist. It is very worrying that one of our journalists was attacked in this way whist carrying out his duties.”
The BBC said it had received no official explanation or apology from Chinese authorities, adding officials said the cameraman was arrested "for his own good" to prevent him from catching Covid from the crowd. It said: “We do not consider this a credible explanation.”
Protests have been taking place across China since Friday in opposition to the country's harsh Covid measures. Mr Lawrence has been in contact with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) over the matter.
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