On Wednesday, a man who was allegedly attacked in China's embassy in Manchester during a weekend protest refuted charges that he tried to rush inside the consulate, as pressure increased on London for a harsher response.
The Chinese foreign ministry announced that it had complained to Britain about the incident that occurred in the northern English city on Sunday, the first day of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, while some British lawmakers called for the expulsion of the involved diplomats.
An altercation between 30 to 40 protesters peacefully demonstrating outside the Manchester consulate and a man who is thought to be a member of the consulate staff is captured on video and posted to social media. The man then kicks and tears a protest banner that was set up on the sidewalk outside the compound gates.
Then, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong, identified by local media as Bob Chan, was dragged into the grounds of the consulate. There, he was held down and beaten by four individuals for more than a minute before a police officer helped him escape his assailants.
He claims that during the violent pro-democracy demonstration that took place in Manchester on Sunday, he was not attempting to access the Chinese consulate. He was pulled onto the embassy premises and assaulted by men, suffering injuries that required hospitalization.
It follows allegations of involvement by one of China's top U.K. diplomats made by a British MP. The protester was allegedly attacked, although consul general Zheng Xiyuan has refuted this. China has asserted that there have been efforts to enter illegally amid the increasing dispute.
"I then found myself being dragged into the grounds of the consulate. I held on to the gates where I was kicked and punched, I could not hold on for long," Chan said. "I was eventually pulled onto the ground of the consulate. I felt punches and kicks from several men. Other protestors were trying to get me out of this situation but to no avail."
Iain Duncan Smith, a prominent member of the Conservative Party, criticized the U.K. government's diplomatic reaction to the crisis so far. It had been "wholly inadequate," he said at the press conference, adding, "and I think I'm being slightly kind to them".
About 70% of Hong Kong's population now has the ability to live, work, and study in the U.K. with a path to citizenship thanks to a new visa system that was implemented last year. As Beijing's influence over the former British colony grows and after the passage of contentious national security law, more than 100,000 people have arrived on the new visas.
