Interruptions to Reporting in Beijing Not ‘an Isolated Incident,’ Dutch Reporter Says

After Chinese security personnel interrupted a Dutch reporter’s live broadcast during the opening night of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) claimed it was a “one-off” incident, while the reporter went on Twitter to say that “it’s hard to see last night’s incident as an isolated incident.”

Dutch broadcaster NOS posted a video of the incident on Twitter.

Onze correspondent @sjoerddendaas werd om 12.00u live in het NOS Journaal door beveiligers voor de camera weggetrokken. Helaas is dit steeds vaker de dagelijkse realiteit voor journalisten in China. Hij is in orde en kon zijn verhaal gelukkig een paar minuten later afmaken pic.twitter.com/GLTZRlZV96

— NOS (@NOS) February 4, 2022

In the video, on a sidewalk next to what seemed to be a traffic-controlled street in Beijing, the Dutch reporter Sjoerd den Daas had just started speaking to his colleague in the Netherlands live on camera when a Chinese plainclothes security person, wearing a red armband, appeared in the camera frame speaking loudly in Chinese, “Let’s move forward a few steps, brother” while grabbing den Daas by his shoulder and pushing him backward. Den Daas explained to the man in Chinese that he was in the middle of news reporting, but that did not help. The Chinese man said, “move over, it’s really not allowed here.”

A few minutes later, after the reporter moved to a different sidewalk location, he was able to continue his report.

The next day, Feb. 5, IOC Director of Communications Mark Adams said to the press, “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.”

“Obviously, we have been in touch with the NOS, the state broadcaster, and it was an unfortunate circumstance,” Adams said.

However, a NOS spokesperson denied having any contact with the IOC. “Neither 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 correspondent Sjoerd den Daas also clarified on Twitter. “In recent weeks, we, like several foreign colleagues, have been hindered or stopped several times by the police while reporting on subjects related to the Games.

“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 broadcast. And now back to work.”

In recent weeks, we, like several foreign colleagues, have been hindered or stopped several times by the police while reporting on subjects related to the Games.

— Sjoerd den Daas (@sjoerddendaas) February 5, 2022

Den Daas also recalled on Twitter what happened on opening night. He began filming around the National Stadium before 7 p.m. but was directed by police to a different area.

“However, just after we had gone live, I was forcefully pulled out of the picture without any warning by a plainclothes man wearing a red badge that read, ‘Public Safety Volunteer.’ He did not identify himself.”

“At the same time, another man took our light installation. When asked, they couldn’t say what we had done wrong.” den Daas wrote on Twitter.