Chinese Consul Staff Rough up HK Protesters

Ambassador pulls a protester's hair as officer drags him out

The UK has a diplomatic row on its hands after a scuffle between protesters and staff at the Chinese Consulate in Manchester on Sunday afternoon.

Pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters were holding a peaceful protest of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China outside of the consulate, when an older man with salt and pepper hair under a beret and wearing a scarf, knocked down a protest poster and pushed people away as he passed through the gates of the consulate.

Chinese staff beat up protester with Zheng nearby

It is believed he is the Consul-General of Manchester, Zheng Xiyuan.

Meanwhile a Hongkonger was pulled into the consulate grounds where a group of people were punching him.

The Manchester police roughly grabbed people out of the way to avoid being pulled in as well, and then managed to grab the protester who was being beaten and threw him out of the consulate grounds.

Other officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the gate to prevent others from coming in, as the consulate staff walked back into the building.

The consulate was not pleased with the posters placed outside the consulate, with cartoon depictions of President Xi Jinping looking like an emperor looking in the mirror, another of him with a noose around his neck. Other signs called for the end of the dictator, while flags called for Hong Kong independence, which China vehemently opposes.

Consulate did not like images like this

The Hongkonger who was roughed up says he and other protesters came to the UK where they supposed to be free to express themselves, and that they were peacefully protesting. 

The Chinese consulate in Manchester said the protesters were "a small batch of Hong Kong independence advocates" and that it was unacceptable, for any diplomatic mission, for protesters to hang an image insulting the head of state.

MP Andrew Gwynne shared the footage on Sunday night, and called on the British Government to investigate the incident. He wrote: "This would be unacceptable on the streets of Hong Kong and against the provisions of the Joint Declaration to uphold democratic rights and freedoms. BUT this is Manchester."