posted
This situation is pretty dangerous. I've heard of at least three 'Free Tibet' protests and one against the one-child policy. I fully expect that a 'Free Tibet' protester will get killed by the end of the games, not even by police, but by regular citizens. Even in Hong Kong, a full scale brawl erupted between 'Free Tibet' protectors and locals, and they had to be taken into protective custody. I'm surprised that nothing of the sort has happened yet actually.
Compared to that, a minor assault on a reporter is unsurprising. There was a fight between Beijing police and Hong Kong reports in which a policeman got kicked in the balls almost a month ago. The odd thing is that typical police procedure based on the other three 'Free Tibet' protests is to push back/block journalists and arrest the protesters, take them into protective custody, and then expel them. I wonder what happened here, perhaps an ambitious and misguided squad of police trying to impress their superiors?
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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posted
I didn't hear China promise to protect protesters and allow them to protest freely. I agree wtih you that I expect a mob to get the better of protesters (despite the government's best efforts.) But I really expected they would have emphasised to police, in Beijing especially, that if someone is yelling "I'm a British journalist" in Chinese, they probably shouldn't stomp him.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
(BTW, I think it's a very good idea to know that phrase in Chinese. That might not have worked today but it might help in many situations.)
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posted
I haven't been able to watch any of the videos. My connection is wonky. Care to give a synopsis?
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
The Guardian video takes place before the Telegraph video and switches to audio only for the section that takes place in the Telegraph video (no idea why).
The Guardian video depicts the events laid out here:
quote: In the group's Aug. 13 protest, five activists dressed in "Free Tibet" t-shirts locked a row of bicycles to the entrance of the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park in in the north of Beijing, which they used to keep police from dragging them away. Security guards grabbed their Tibetan flags, but allowed them to remain on the spot for about 10 minutes as they chanted slogans and conducted interviews with foreign journalists. "The Chinese people are great, but shame on the Chinese government because they are lying to the people of China," said Pema Yoko, 25, a Tibetan-Japanese woman from the U.K. ...
That period of ten minutes of English(?!) chanting and interviews is actually on the Guardian video, then the protesters are led away peacefully and reporters waved away.
Then we have to switch over to the Telegraph video which takes place a little bit later. Presumably, John Ray had his confrontation with the police and was asked what his views on Tibet was (maybe they thought he was a protester?). But here's one odd part.
He's speaking from a police van in English, repeatedly saying he's a journalist in English many times. The cameraman is in front of him, a interpretor(?) is to the left, and Pema Yoko (I think) is to the right.
He sums up his situation then a policeman comes to close the van window. John Ray says "I'm a friend" in Chinese and then tells his interpretor to say that he's a journalist. The interpretor seems to do that and adds that the police cannot take him away. The policeman leaves the window open, and leaves.
Meanwhile, Pema Yoko is arguing with the police in English, but I don't think the police understand anyone but the interpretor. The van then drives away.
I wish my Mandarin was up to snuff to help with the translations, but I suspect we'll have access to that soon.
Edit to add:
quote: "I tried to explain to these people that I was a journalist but they dragged me out and slung me in in the back of a police van and held me there for another few minutes.
"Nobody punched me but they were very forceful and I have a cut knee and a bruise on my finger.
"They basically dragged me into the restaurant and then out, and took my shoes off me."
Mr Ray was only released from the Chinese police van after his producer showed them accreditation.
He added: "I was able to eventually show them my journalist credentials and they realised I was a British journalist and the next time the door of the van opened I was able to walk out.
"They did ask me, in English, what my views were on Tibet and I said 'I don't have any views, I'm a journalist'.
"I was there purely to report on a protest and took no part in the protest itself.
"We then contacted the British Embassy and they are taking it up at consular level."
A spokesman at the British embassy said: "We are aware of the incident and have spoken directly to John Ray.
"We have expressed our strong concern to the Chinese authorities and we are pleased that he has been released."
What's black and blue, and red all over? Someone who thinks that kicking and screaming and trying to escape is a good way to deal with the police.
If it had happened on Wednesday in the US, he'd still be be in jail waiting for his Monday bail hearing. And wouldn't be released until past midnight Tuesday even if the charges were to be tossed out by the judge.
Slow news day, so he made his own news.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote:If it had happened on Wednesday in the US, he'd still be be in jail waiting for his Monday bail hearing. And wouldn't be released until past midnight Tuesday even if the charges were to be tossed out by the judge.
I don't doubt that this has happened. But I can testify to direct experience of hundreds of times where it hasn't happened, and have one-degree separation knowledge of thousands of other instances.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
I just noticed that the Time article has a completely different video that fills in the gap between the two, between the three videos I think we can figure out what happened.
This is pretty silly.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Mucus: I just noticed that the Time article has a completely different video that fills in the gap between the two, between the three videos I think we can figure out what happened.
This is pretty silly.
Well which is it 3 or 2 Mucus?!
Also I responded to your query in the saurkraut kosher thread.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Eh? What I meant was that there is a gap between the Telegraph and Guardian video. If you view the Time video, then you can start to guess at what went wrong here.
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I agree wtih you that I expect a mob to get the better of protesters (despite the government's best efforts.) But I really expected they would have emphasised to police, in Beijing especially, that if someone is yelling "I'm a British journalist" in Chinese, they probably shouldn't stomp him.
