Protester says he was kicked and assaulted outside China’s UK consulate

A man who was protesting outside a Chinese consulate in Britain said that he was kicked, punched, and dragged into the grounds by masked men in an assault that British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called “unacceptable” on Wednesday.

China has refuted reports that demonstrators invaded the grounds of the consulate in Manchester, northern England, during a demonstration against Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday.

It is the most recent diplomatic incident between China and Britain, whose relations have deteriorated recently. Social media videos showed a guy being dragged through a fence into the consular grounds, where he was attacked by five men as he laid on the ground while wearing a black hat and a ponytail.

In his 30s and originally from Hong Kong, Bob Chan claimed that the violence began when masked individuals emerged from the embassy to steal flags from nonviolent demonstrators. “I then found myself being dragged into the grounds of the consulate. I held on to the gate where I was kicked and punched. I could not hold on for long and was eventually pulled into the grounds of the consulate.” the man told reporters.

According to him, the attack ended when a police officer intervened to liberate him. He told reporters that he had injuries to his eye, head, neck, and entire back. The man was worried about the security of himself and his family. China’s Charge d’Affaires in London was called by Britain on Tuesday to explain what had occurred. According to Cleverly, the demonstration, which featured 30 to 40 individuals and included Hong Kong natives who now reside in Britain, had been peaceful and legitimate. Beijing claimed to have complained to Britain “about the instance of hostile harassment.”

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