A member of staff at the Chinese Consulate in Manchester has alleged he was 'choked' and 'briefly lost consciousness' when violence flared outside its gates during a protest. Consul Gao Lianjia spoke at a press conference today hosted by the consulate and the Chinese Embassy in the UK, claiming in a statement he read out that his life was put at risk.
"While on the premises of the consulate I was attacked by one of the protesters who posed a severe threat to my life," he said. "I was standing close to the front gate when all of a sudden the protester...knocked me down by running against my belly.
"He then knocked off my eye glasses and attacked me on the face. In a split second he grabbed my collars tightly and knelt forcefully on my body with my back on the ground. I struggled, but to no avail. I had difficulty breathing and lost consciousness.
"When I came back to life I saw the attacker being taken out of the compound by the police. This attack left me with injuries on the forehead and on the right knee along with a concussion." Consul Gao said he was being 'haunted' by dizziness and numbness in his head and pain below the ribs.
Violent scenes flared during a pro-Hong Kong democracy rally outside the consulate in Rusholme on Sunday, October 16. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed an investigation into the assault of a man who they said was 'dragged into the grounds' of the compound and attacked was underway.
The force said a group of men came out of the building and a man was 'dragged' into the grounds of the consulate and assaulted. "Due to our fears for the safety of the man, officers intervened and removed the victim from the Consulate grounds," added GMP in a statement.
The protester - Bob Chan - said at a press conference organised by MPs that he was 'shocked' the incident took place on British soil and denied claims that he tried to enter the grounds of the consulate on Denison Road.
Mr Chan told a press conference last week: "I am shocked and hurt by this unprovoked attack. I am shocked because I never thought something like this could have happened in the UK. I then found myself being dragged into the grounds of the consulate. I held onto the gates where I was kicked and punched, I could not hold on for long.
"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. The attack only stopped when a man who turned out to be a uniformed officer from the Greater Manchester Police pulled me outside the gates."
The consulate, however, has claimed two members of its staff were assaulted. Video footage of the violence was shared on social media and consul-general, Zheng Xiyuan, later shared with the Manchester Evening News footage from the consulate's own CCTV cameras.
Mr Xiyuan claimed a 'mob' of protestors 'stormed' its grounds after 'deeply offensive imagery and slogans' they described as 'threatening and insulting' were displayed outside during the protest. They also alleged staff were shoved, then two men who were knocked to the ground were stamped on and kicked.
The Manchester Evening News asked consul-general Mr Xiyuan whether he, or any member of staff at the consulate, has spoken directly to an investigating Greater Manchester Police officer or whether the alleged attack on consul Gao had been reported to the force.
He said: "Myself and my colleagues have been in close contact with the police. We are also in communication about guaranteeing the safety and security of the consulate. To put things in a legal perspective about a Chinese counsel reporting a case to the British police, this is something that involves very special legal matters.
"Now we are studying this incident about the identity of the attacker and the legal consequences of things that happened inside and outside the consulate."
Foreign Office minister Jesse Norman has said the UK Government was 'extremely concerned at the apparent scenes of violence' at the consulate and had told the Chinese embassy of the need to allow people to protest peacefully.
Britain has also warned 'diplomatic consequences will follow' if China does not waive immunity for any officials charged with assault. Conservative former leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, meanwhile, said the UK must use its diplomatic power to dismiss from the country any Chinese officials proved to have been involved.
Yang Xiaoguang, the Charge d'Affaires Minister at the Chinese Embassy in the UK who was summoned to the Foreign Office to give an explanation, said at the press conference the consulate was 'maliciously harassed' by Hong Kong independence advocates who 'broke into the consulate, injured members and violated the peace of the diplomatic mission'.
"China is seriously concerned over this," he said. Minister Yang said 'rumours' have been spread since the incident and politicians had been 'hiding things up'.
"Let me make it clear, the incident on the 16th of October is nothing about peaceful demonstrations or freedom of speech, but all about violent harassment by Hong Kong independence advocates and their illegal assault on the premises and members of the Chinese consulate. It is of a very malicious nature."
Minister Yang called on Britain to 'ensure the safety, peace and dignity of the premises and members of the Chinese diplomatic missions in the UK'.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- "Since Covid no-one is carrying any change... they set fire to you and p*** on your tent": Life for the men on Manchester's streets
- LIVE updates as Boris Johnson pulls out of race to become Prime Minister with Rishi Sunak now favourite to become UK's third leader in seven weeks
- "What the f*** have you done?": Mum confronts sick sex attacker, thug left pal with broken bones - and the police hiding in woods
- Emotions run high at protest held after man 'attacked' outside Chinese consulate in Manchester
- 'Has daddy done something?' Awful moment mum caught my rapist dad in bed with me
