Met Police defends 'heavy-handed' arrest of Chinese protesters

The Met Police has rejected claims from human rights groups that it dealt inappropriately with protesters during the Chinese president's state visit.

Shao Jiang, Sonam Choden and Jamphel Lhamo were arrested outside Mansion House in central London, on Wednesday before President Xi's arrival.

Amnesty International called the police's actions "very heavy-handed".

But the Met said the suggestion it was doing anything but regular police work was "wrong".

All three campaigners later had their houses raided by police.

Tsering Passang, of the Tibetan Community in Britain group, said: "The police were extremely over-handed and it shouldn't have been done that way.

'Unnecessary'

"I was totally shocked at what happened, it was so unnecessary."

Dr Shao pictured at protests in central London on Tuesday

Allan Hogarth from Amnesty International added: "The video that has emerged looks like a very heavy-handed response to a peaceful demonstration."

After he was released, Dr Shao posted a photo of his bail conditions on Twitter, which appeared to show he was banned from approaching Chequers, Heathrow Airport and the Chinese president himself.

The Met issued two separate statements, the first of which asserted: "To suggest we were doing anything but the regular police work associated with public order and ceremonial events is wrong."

Dr Shao posted this picture of his bail conditions on Twitter

In a second statement, Commander Lucy D'Orsi wrote of her "disappointment" at hearing the view expressed that the Met was "working to the bidding of the Chinese to suppress protest".

She added: "My team and I have worked tirelessly to facilitate peaceful protest throughout the state visit. At all events this fundamental right to freedom of expression, afforded by the Human Rights Act, was available to everyone."

Shao Jiang, a London-based research scholar who was involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest, told BBC London earlier this week he was protesting because if the British Government follows the Chinese model, it will "push the issue of human rights away".