‘I was thinking I might die’: Hong Kong pro-democracy protester on Chinese consulate attack in Manchester
A Hong Kong pro-democracy protester who was pulled into the Chinese consulate grounds in Manchester said he thought he was going to die when unidentified men were beating him up.
The demonstrator, who’s known as Bob Man, told Sky News that it would have been no surprise if he’d died on the grounds of the Chinese consulate for protesting outside it on Sunday.
He said the protest was peaceful until consulate staff came out and tore down banners and posters depicting images of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which they found offensive.
Bob has been left with injuries on his body and face from being kicked and punched.
He told Sky News: “In that moment, I was thinking I might die inside because it’s not surprising they’d do that. If the police officer didn’t pull me out, I’d have died inside and they could do nothing.
“I saw one of the Hong Kongers being grabbed inside the consulate. I went straight away to help and then four consulate staff tried to grab me into the garden as well.
“It all happened too fast. I tried holding on to the gates but couldn’t hold for too long – they then threw me to the ground and started to kick and punch me.”
He added: “There’s no respect, they’re rude, it shouldn’t be like that here. It’s not China, this is the UK, you shouldn’t do that.”
Bob managed to escape with help of police and other demonstrators.
Showing us his injuries, Bob said he still felt pain in his body and neck where red marks and bruising has developed.
He also has cuts to his face and a bald patch in his hair where it had been pulled out.
“They should be going to jail because it’s not legal. They should be punished,” he said, adding he wouldn’t accept an apology and this has only made him angrier.
“I’m not scared at all after what happened, I might be dead already – so even if they do something now to kill me somehow, somewhere, I won’t be surprised. I’m more angry and they won’t make me ‘zip it’. I’m only going to speak out more.”
But Bob, who now lives in Greater Manchester with his own family, said he’s worried for his other family who lives in Hong Kong.
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“They might do some bad things to my family in Hong Kong. I’m worried about that, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t regret going to the protest because if I don’t speak out, the world wouldn’t see this ridiculous thing happen to me.”
Sunday’s protest coincided with the first day of the congress of China’s ruling party, where Mr Xi is expected to win a third leadership term.
MPs, including shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, are calling for the government to urgently investigate the incident and summon the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang.
Sky News has contacted the government, the Chinese consulate in Manchester and the Chinese embassy in London for comment.
