A member of staff at the Chinese Consulate in Manchester has alleged he was 'choked' and 'briefly lost consciousness' when violence flared outside its gates during a protest. Consul Gao Lianjia spoke at a press conference today hosted by the consulate and the Chinese Embassy in the UK, claiming in a statement he read out that his life was put at risk.
"While on the premises of the consulate I was attacked by one of the protesters who posed a severe threat to my life," he said. "I was standing close to the front gate when all of a sudden the protester...knocked me down by running against my belly.
"He then knocked off my eye glasses and attacked me on the face. In a split second he grabbed my collars tightly and knelt forcefully on my body with my back on the ground. I struggled, but to no avail. I had difficulty breathing and lost consciousness.
