ITV journalist arrested and 'roughed up' in China at Free Tibet protest

ITN’s John Ray, 44, said he was knocked to the ground, thrown into a van and asked what his opinion on Tibet was after covering a demonstration.

He suffered cuts and bruises. Ray was taken away as activists from Students for a Free Tibet handcuffed themselves to railings at the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, near the National Stadium.

Ray, ITN’s Beijing correspondent, managed to speak on his mobile phone to a colleague, saying: 'I have been roughed up. They dragged me, pulled me and knocked me to the ground. Now they are filming me.'

Arrested: ITV journalist John Ray is bundled into a van by a Chinese policeman

An exchange with the police officers could then be heard with Ray saying: 'I am a British journalist. I have all the Olympic accreditation I need.'

Officers then asked: 'What’s your opinion on Tibet?' Ray replied: 'I have no opinion on Tibet. I am a journalist.'

Ray said he was taken to a restaurant and forced on to the floor by plainclothed and uniformed officers which “startled all the diners”. He was released after an hour when his producer showed police his papers.

The violence raises serious questions over China’s commitment to free speech.

After his release, Ray said: 'All I could think was, ‘If this is how they treat British journalists how do they treat other people who annoy them?’ I really didn’t do anything wrong.'

John Ray looks on as Chinese police cordon off an area where they kept detained pro-Tibet demonstrators

Moments later a Chinese policeman stops photojournalists from taking pictures as they cordon off the area

John Ray speaks on his phone next to a police cordon after being released by Chinese police near Beijing's Olympic National Stadium

A British embassy spokesman said: 'We are aware of the incident and have spoken directly to John Ray. We have expressed our strong concern to the Chinese authorities and we are pleased he has been released.'

Eight members of the campaign group were arrested after two of them hung a Free Tibet banner. Ray said he had seen the banner being unfurled and went to report on it.

More 'Free Tibet' protests took place on the sidelines of the 2008 Olympics today

'There was a lot of shouting and pushing, though no hitting,' he said. 'I got dragged out of the park. Suddenly a lot of police arrived and I was dragged into a restaurant and forced onto the ground, which seemed to startle all the diners.

'I was trying to protect my kitbag and camera. I kept shouting "British journalist" in Chinese. They wouldn’t let me show them my ID.

'I tried to get away at one point and they pushed me over and dragged me back in.” He added: 'No one was explaining why I was arrested. One police officer in a white shirt made a ‘T’ sign.

Security guards drag away a protester wearing a t-shirt with a 'Free Tibet' slogan

'They dragged me out. I was flung in the back of one of the police vans. I argued with them. Eventually someone arrived who spoke English.

'One of my colleagues, who is Chinese came, and explained. I still don’t know what I was arrested for. Everyone has problems here but I have never been arrested.'

He added: 'We are supposed to have press freedom for the Olympics. The protest may have been illegal but reporting on it is legal under the undertakings given to the International Olympic Committee. This was a gross violation of that in my opinion.'

Five pro-Tibetan protesters chained their bicycles to the gate of a northern Beijing park

The incident involving Ray is the second time Students for a Free Tibet have grabbed international headlines at the games.

Londoner Lucy Fairbrother, 23, and Scot Iain Thom, 24, were deported after unfurling a 140 sq ft banner reading “One World, One Dream, Free Tibet” in Beijing just before the Games started.

Ray, who has been based in Beijing since 2006, is ITN’s first China correspondent.