Dutch Journalist Dragged Off By Chinese Authorities In Winter Olympics Live Shot

Chinese authorities dragged a Dutch journalist off-camera during a live report on the Winter Olympics on Friday, causing confusion as to why his broadcast was terminated.

A volunteer security officer in plainclothes and a red arm band manhandled Sjoerd den Daas, a correspondent for Dutch channel NOS Nieuws, during a live standup outside the National Stadium.

Den Daas' attempt to continue was thwarted by the officer, who yelled at him and forced him to halt. Several other guards stood close, watching the action, but it was unclear why the broadcast was halted.

“When asked, they couldn’t say what we had done wrong,” the reporter wrote in a series of tweets.

“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,” he continued. “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.”

The Winter Olympics in China had previously been dogged by claims of human rights breaches and mistreatment of Chinese competitors. Many politicians from democratic countries declined to attend the games, citing the abuse of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province as a reason.

President Joe Biden did not attend the Opening Ceremony in Beijing, despite his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, attending the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan.

Chinese officials have also adopted a hard line with its Covid-free policy, which are aimed at containing the infection. To keep athletes away from Beijing, Chinese officials have built a massive network of bubbles known as the "closed loop."