LOCATION: Urumqi
TYPE OF INCIDENT: Violence, detained for three hours, broken equipment, confiscated tape
TOPIC: Protests
NATIONALITY/ORGANIZATION: Hong Kong/TVB, two others
DESCRIPTION: “We were covering a rally in Urumqi on Renmin Nanlu. Armed police sorrounded the marchers, and started shooting tear gas. Armed police tackled three Hong Kong reporters to the ground as we were running away to escape the tear gas, when we were tackled to the ground. The police grabbed then beat us for a few minutes, and pinned us to the ground for 15 to 20 minutes. I was beaten with a baton on my shoulder and punched and kicked on my knee and lower back.
My cameraman was also beaten all over his body with a baton. (Another) TV cameraman was also punched in the head and kicked. We were brought to a nearby police station where we sat there for three hours. We were not told what law we had violated or charged. They returned our camera, which was broken, but our tape was fine. They confiscated (another network’s) tape.”