Video has emerged showing BBC journalist Edward Lawrence being detained by Chinese authorities in Shanghai, China. He can be heard telling his co-worker to “call the consulate now” before he is dragged away by police.
According to his Twitter, Lawrence has been in Shanghai covering the historic anti-COVID-19 lockdowns in which authorities are requiring a negative test result within a prior 48-hour period to enter commercial places. This lockdown is supposed to begin on November 29th.
Hundreds have reportedly been arrested since 0955 EST on November 22nd, when authorities began to announce restrictions on travel and work within the city. The initial announcement prevented people who have stayed in the city for less than five days from entering public places. Entertainment facilities have been forcibly closed in several districts of Shanghai since the 22nd, with authorities executing “rolling lockdowns” with varying levels of severity among different city districts. The city is home to more than twenty-six million people.
