A journalist from The Netherlands was dragged away by a Chinese security official while he was reporting live during the Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing. The journalist, Sjoerd den Daas, was delivering his live report to public broadcaster NOS on Friday evening when local security officials interrupted him in the middle of the live broadcast.
According to multiple reports, Daas was then dragged away by one official, while his camera was also shut down.
"Our correspondent @sjoerddendaas was pulled away from the camera by security guards at 12:00 pm live in the NOS Journaal," said NOS on Saturday in a tweet, while sharing the video of the incident.
In the following tweets, the channel said the reporter is "safe and was able to finish his story a few minutes later". "Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China," the broadcaster added on the micro-blogging site.
{{/usCountry}}In the following tweets, the channel said the reporter is "safe and was able to finish his story a few minutes later". "Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China," the broadcaster added on the micro-blogging site.
{{/usCountry}}Calling it an "isolated incident", the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it "will not affect foreign media's reporting at the Games”. "Obviously, we have been in touch with the NOS, the state broadcaster, and it was an unfortunate circumstance," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams was quoted as saying by Reuters.
However, the NOS has denied having been contacted by the committee, the report also added. "Neither the NOS management, nor the chief editors of news and sport, our Olympic team leadership in Beijing, or our correspondent himself has spoken to anyone from the IOC about yesterday’s incident," the NOS spokesperson said.
Games participants, including the media, are restricted to a "closed loop" during the Games, which includes venues, media centre and accommodation. According to regulations, all participants must remain in that loop for the entire duration of the Games as part of China's health measures to minimise the risk of Covid-19 spread during the event.
With footage of the incident going viral on social media, many have raised concerns over whether visiting media will be allowed to do their job freely in China during the Games. Responding to the concerns, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams, in a press briefing on Saturday, said, "These things do happen and I think it's a one-off. I hope it's a one-off and we will assure you that within the closed loop you will be able to carry on your work."
Meanwhile, the journalist has responded to the IOC's claims of it being an isolated incident on Twitter. "In recent weeks, we, like several foreign colleagues, have been hindered or stopped several times by police while reporting on subjects related to the Games," Daas said on Twitter.
"Therefore, it’s hard to see last night's incident as an isolated incident, as the IOC claims, although such interference rarely happens live on the broadcast. And now back to work," he added in the following tweet.