Media 'slapper' arrested at freedom talks
Top News | Amy Nip 2 Oct 2018A mainland journalist was arrested in Britain for allegedly slapping a volunteer at an event discussing Hong Kong issues.
The volunteer, a Hongkonger studying in Britain, said the woman is 48 years old and works for state media CCTV. She was being asked to leave after interrupting a round-table discussion when she allegedly slapped the volunteer twice.
The event - titled "The erosion of freedom, the rule of law and autonomy in Hong Kong" - was a fringe meeting of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
It was coorganized by Britain-based concern group Hong Kong Watch and the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, and was attended by Democratic Party founder Martin Lee Chu-ming, Occupy Movement co-founder Benny Tai Yiu-ting and disqualified lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung.
Hong Kong Watch chairman Benedict Rogers said during the discussion: "I am a critic of the current Chinese government and the way it treats its people, but I am pro-China as a country and people and I believe it is in both China's and Britain's interests for Hong Kong to succeed. It is therefore in all our interests for both China and Britain to honor our commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and ensure that 'one country, two systems' is upheld."
A mainland woman with a press pass stood up and screamed at Rogers: "You are a liar. You are anti-China. You want to separate China. And you are not even Chinese. The rest are all traitors!"
Tory Fiona Bruce, who chaired the event, asked her to leave. But when she continued shouting, the volunteer approached her. The mainlander then slapped him twice, Hong Kong Watch said.
Security removed her from the venue and she was subsequently arrested by police.