Clashes took place outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester on October 16, the day Beijing opened on October 20e Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), indicates the site of the BBC.
Hong Kongers had come to voice their opposition to Xi Jinping, about to endorse a third term as head of the party and the state. The peaceful protest was interrupted by people coming out of the consulate, and the two sides came to blows.
British police tried to intervene, but a protester dragged inside the gates by alleged consulate staff was beaten up, before a policeman dragged him out, as can see on this video, retweeted by many Internet users.
An investigation requested by the deputies
We first see a man in his fifties, masked, tearing down the banners in Chinese, whose white characters on a black background recall those of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement of 2019, and crossing the gates of the consulate. The banners read, among other things: “May Heaven Destroy the CCP!” Flags where were inscribed “Liberating Hong Kong, revolution of our time” – slogan of this movement – were also visible nearby.
British MPs have called for an investigation, according to the site Hong Kong Free Press.