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A Hong Kong protestor who was crushed within the grounds of the Chinese language consulate in Manchester mentioned he fears for his household.

Talking at a information convention in London, Bob Chan described how he tried to defend himself as a gaggle of males hit and tried to tug him into the embassy gates earlier than he was rescued by Manchester police.

He mentioned he couldn’t consider the assault might occur within the UK.

“I’m shocked and damage by this unprovoked assault. I am shocked as a result of I by no means thought one thing like this might occur within the UK. I nonetheless consider the UK is a spot the place free speech is a primary human proper,” Mr Chan mentioned.

Scuffles broke out outdoors the constructing on Sunday afternoon after 30 to 40 pro-democracy protesters gathered and put up posters.

Mr Chan needed to be rescued by police after being dragged into the grounds of the consulate and crushed. The injured campaigner mentioned that unidentified males had ripped down the posters earlier than he was attacked.

UK police will not be usually allowed to enter consulate grounds with out permission. The properties fall below UK legislation, however employees who work there could have diplomatic immunity.

Mr Chan thanked the cops who got here to his support in the course of the assault the place he mentioned his hair was pulled and he was punched and kicked leaving him with bruises on his eyes, again and shoulders.

Describing the assault, Mr Chan mentioned he tried to cease the lads from taking his show earlier than violence broke out.

“I held onto the gates the place I used to be kicked and punched I couldn’t maintain on for lengthy,” he mentioned.

“It was then my hair was pulled and I felt punches and kicks from a number of males. Different protesters had been attempting to get me out of this case however to no avail.

“The assault stopped when a person who turned out to be a uniformed officer from the Larger Manchester Police pulled me outdoors the gates.”

He added: “I used to be dragged into the consulate. I didn’t try to enter the consulate.”

Former Conservative chief Sir Iain Duncan Smith hit out on the authorities’s “wholly insufficient” response, arguing they need to have referred to as within the ambassador for questioning instantly.

“The reality is that they needed to be dragged to the despatch field,” the MP mentioned.

“We needed to put an pressing query all the way down to get them there.”

International workplace minister Jesse Norman mentioned the federal government was “extraordinarily involved on the obvious scenes of violence” on the consulate and had advised the Chinese language embassy of the necessity to enable folks to protest peacefully.

Mr Norman advised MPs that international secretary James Cleverly had summoned the Chinese language cost d’affaires on Tuesday to demand an evidence for the consulate’s actions. He mentioned the deputy ambassador “will meet with officers this afternoon”.

China’s ministry claimed the pro-democracy Hong Kong protester assaulted on the grounds of the Chinese language consulate in Manchester had illegally entered the premises.

The ministry mentioned its diplomatic missions overseas have the fitting to “take vital measures” to take care of safety and rejected the protester’s account.

Wang Wenbin, Chinese language international ministry spokesperson, advised reporters on Tuesday: “What I need to stress is that the peace and dignity of Chinese language embassies and consulates overseas should not be violated.”

Labour’s Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Gorton, mentioned he was “sickened that such an occasion happened in my very own constituency”.

He added: “These scenes … haven’t any place on the streets of my metropolis, or our nation. The UK stands for freedom, the rule of legislation, and democracy. The quashing of peaceable protests won’t ever be tolerated on British soil.”

The Chinese language ambassador to the UK is believed to be in another country.