August 27, 2014
Beijing, Songzhuang
When the AP TV team approached the festival venue, they were stopped by two police officers. They were asked for their passports and told to stop filming.
About two dozend “thugs” (40 to 50-year-old men who pretended to be from the village) were guarding the theatre entrance. When they saw the AP Team, several started walking quickly towards them, one shouted “don’t film!” The thugs were violent, pushing and shoving anyone who came close.
The AP team then walked away. They came back to the entrance of the festival venue later because people told them the police had started seizing the movies and festival archives. As they approached the area, things got heated right away. A man circled around the AP cameraman and violently grabbed the camera, breaking the microphone mount. Then another one threw water at the journalists.