Communist goons drag away a Dutch reporter while he’s broadcasting LIVE on air from outside the Beijing Winter Olympics
- Dutch reporter Sjoerd den Daas was dragged away by Chinese security on air
- The journalist for broadcaster NOS Journal was covering the Beijing Olympics
- A man with a red armband grabbed him and pulled him away from the camera
A Dutch reporter covering the Beijing Winter Olympics was captured being dragged away by Chinese security live on air.
Sjoerd den Daas, a correspondent for NOS Journaal, was covering the long-awaited games in China when a man wearing a red armband entered the frame and grabbed the journalist by the shoulders.
Mr den Daas attempted to continue his broadcast but was pulled away, in an example of one of China’s latest tactics at intimidating foreign reporters.
Sjoerd den Daas, a Dutch reporter covering the Beijing Winter Olympics was captured being dragged away by Chinese Communist security live on air
The interruption came from a man wearing a black jacket and a red band around the sleeve which appears to distinguish him a ‘Public Security Volunteer’
The publication’s post said: ‘Our correspondent was pulled away from the camera by security guards at 12:00 pm live in the NOS Journaal’
The interruption came from a man wearing a black jacket and a red band around the sleeve which appears to distinguish him a ‘Public Security Volunteer’, a citizen-led neighbourhood watch established to help police maintain order.
It is unclear what Mr den Daas was doing prompt intervention, but NOS later tweeted that he was able to continue the report minutes later.
It has been suggested the journalist’s report was not photogenic enough, given Mr den Daas was filming on a badly lit street rather than the glamorous Bird’s Nest stadium, the Daily Beast reported.
The publication’s post said: ‘Our correspondent was pulled away from the camera by security guards at 12:00 pm live in the NOS Journaal.
‘Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China. He is fine and was able to finish his story a few minutes later.’
According to the latest Media Freedoms report by the The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) from last month, foreign journalists are ‘facing unprecedented hurdles’ due to the ‘government’s efforts to block and discredit independent reporting’.
It is unclear what Mr den Daas was doing prompt intervention, but NOS later tweeted that he was able to continue the report minutes later
Mr den Daas attempted to continue his broadcast but was pulled by the man in what has been called China’s latest tactic at intimidating foreign reporters
‘State-backed’ attacks on foreign journalists such as online trolling campaigns and spates of lawsuit threats are also outlined in the report.
‘Such campaigns have fostered a growing feeling among the Chinese public that foreign media are the enemy and directly encourage offline violence and harassment of journalists in the field,’ it added.
At today’s opening ceremony, Chinese president Xi Jinping received a standing ovation as he arrived to watch some 3,000 performers take part, which also featured People’s Liberation Army soldiers hoisting the country’s flag as the national anthem played.
Earlier in the day, Xi had given his backing to Putin over Ukraine – signing a joint document that condemned America’s influence in Europe, opposed the further expansion of NATO, while also criticising Washington’s ‘negative impact on peace and stability’ in the Asia-Pacific region – meaning the South China Sea and Taiwan.
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