A CLASH between protesters and police broke out at a protest over the proposed China embassy.
More than a thousand people gathered outside the proposed site for a “mega-embassy” for China in London.
People waved large flags that said “Free Hong Kong – revolution now” and many placards featured Winnie-the-Pooh, an image that was censored in China over the character's use to mock president Xi Jinping.
One of the Winnie-the-Pooh signs said “Say no to China’s transnational oppression” and another said “CCP is watching you, Stop the mega embassy”.
Former UK security minister Tom Tugendhat said plans for the redevelopment of the Chinese embassy in London are “completely ignoring human rights”.
Tugendhat told reporters at the protest outside the Royal Mint Court – the proposed site of the new “mega-embassy” – that the plans are about “state power”.
“It’s completely ignoring human rights,” Tugendhat said.
“I mean, I think that’s clearly what it is doing. You can see by the number of Uighur activists here, the number of Hong Kongers, the number of people who have had their own human rights violated by the Chinese state.
“You can see why it is that people are coming here, because they recognise that the CCP is not talking about Chinese culture or the benefits of co-operation with China and Chinese people, it’s about state power.”
Police shouted for order at the protest outside the proposed Chinese embassy site as the loud crowd spilled across most of the junction between Tower Hill and Tower Bridge Road.
A line of officers wrestled with protesters dressed in black as people shouted and screamed in the packed crowd behind.
One woman appeared to have become unwell at the protest outside the proposed embassy.
She was seen lying on the rain-covered road as the at-times raucous crowd of hundreds gathered.
Police circled around her. The cause is not clear but people were overheard saying she “felt weak”. Officers attended and were overheard saying they had requested an ambulance.
Another attendee wrapped a black flag around her legs that said “liberate Hong Kong”.
