Reporter Sjoerd den Daas was dragged away by Goons at Beijing Games Opener

The Beijing Winter Olympics is officially underway — but, before the Opening Ceremony ends on Friday, the Chinese authorities have once again demonstrated to the world that they will not tolerate any kind of free press. any reason.

In a special clip by Dutch broadcaster NOS, one of its reporters who is in Beijing covering the Olympics can be seen being held by a security guard wearing a red armband. control. The reporter, Sjoerd den Daas, tried to make his broadcast while being grabbed and yelled at by security, after which NOS decided to return to the studio.

In a post, NOS wrote: “Our reporter [den Daas] was pulled from the camera by security guard at 12pm live at NOS Journaal. Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China. He was fine and was able to finish his story a few minutes later.”

It’s unclear exactly what den Daas did to upset the authorities, but it may have been because he reported from a dark street corner rather than from inside the lavish Bird’s Nest stadium, where the Chinese government is located. Quoc is holding an opening ceremony to show off China to the world.

Dutch tabloids Algemeen Dagblad quote NOS editor-in-chief Marcel Gelauff when he said the clip was “a painful illustration” of how foreign media are treated in China. “Sjoerd often says and shows that it is very difficult as a journalist in China. There is a far-reaching trend in curtailing liberties, and this may be even stronger due to the aura,” said Gelauff.

Reporters in Beijing were strict pandemic protocols before and during their time in the city, including mandatory use of a fitness app and daily PCR testing. Some foreign countries Journalists have been asked to leave their cell phones at home and use burners to prevent Chinese ghosts from tracking their activities.

ONE Report from the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China published last month showed that foreign journalists have faced increasing intimidation in the country in recent years, with tactics including social media trolling, hacking, hacking. accounts, visa denials and fierce lawsuits.

Inside the stadium, the controversy was even more controversial during the opening ceremony when Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to close his eyes when the Ukrainian team marched around the track.

Putin has stationed around 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, and will no doubt know that the cameras will most likely turn to him as the Ukrainian team enters the stadium.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping received a one-minute standing ovation when he came to watch the festival. At the beginning of the day, Putin and Xi signed a statement together that warned the West to stay away from Ukraine as NATO allies beefed up their defenses in Eastern Europe.

BBC News report that the team representing Russia – named the Russian Olympic Committee due to a ban on Russia using its national team for repeatedly drug cheating – had “the loudest cheers to date” as they stepped into the stadium. into the stadium.