Have a taste of Chinese rule of law at Beijing US embassy explosion site! Scene 1: A bystander (woman w flower print shirt @ far right) kindly decided to share images and video - apparently passed to her by a friend - w a scrum of journalists via WeChat
The internet enables journalism/sharing! Er, sort of. Images of the bloodied ground (aftermath) come through on WeChat but not her video material despite multiple tries - already a bit fishy
I turn my back for sec and next thing I know the poor woman has been dragged across the street away from the journos by plainclothes men o.O
Scene 2: I chase them.
“Take her into the hotel,” green shirt guy says.
“Why do you have to take this woman away?” I ask. No answer
“Get out of here quick. Dad’s waiting for you at home,” green shirt guy says, forcibly grabbing her
“Take her into the hotel,” green shirt guy says.
“Why do you have to take this woman away?” I ask. No answer
“Get out of here quick. Dad’s waiting for you at home,” green shirt guy says, forcibly grabbing her
Scene 3: The abduction.
“Why? What has she done wrong?” I ask.
“This is a family matter!” says green shirt.
It gets loud but I basically stuck my head in the car so could hear her loud and clear: “I do not know that man. I didn’t do anything! I was just a bystander!”
“Why? What has she done wrong?” I ask.
“This is a family matter!” says green shirt.
It gets loud but I basically stuck my head in the car so could hear her loud and clear: “I do not know that man. I didn’t do anything! I was just a bystander!”
Scene 4: The verdict
I love this. Sorry it’s upside down.
“Can I ask if that woman did anything wrong? Do u know what happened to her?” I ask.
“I’m sorry, I’m enforcing the law,” says cop, scuttling away like an awkward teen at a school dance (LOL)
Ohhh that’s what you’re doing
I love this. Sorry it’s upside down.
“Can I ask if that woman did anything wrong? Do u know what happened to her?” I ask.
“I’m sorry, I’m enforcing the law,” says cop, scuttling away like an awkward teen at a school dance (LOL)
Ohhh that’s what you’re doing
Cop 2 also doesn’t know why she was taken.
Cop 3: “It’s not convenient now for us to do interviews. We don’t know. Please leave - there are too many people here.”
Cop 3: “It’s not convenient now for us to do interviews. We don’t know. Please leave - there are too many people here.”
Later as I was leaving, ran into Cop 1. “What media do you work for? Where are you from?” he asked, increasingly aggressive. When I wouldn’t say he said: “I have control over your visa!” China’s go-to in the field these days: threatening expulsion for critical coverage
Having a plainclothes pose as a relative seems common. Saw this scene near Houhai in May en route to a friend’s bday. Man helping shuttle her into van told me he was her bf. Bystanders said she’d talked back at cops for chasing away a busker, & asked them to let him keep singing.
