Watch: Dutch reporter’s live broadcast on Olympics interrupted by Beijing security guards

Footage of the incident quickly went viral across social media platforms, with netizens criticising China for its treatment of free and foreign press.

The news outlet took to Twitter to reassure audiences that the reporter was “fine”, and that he had returned on air a few minutes later. “Unfortunately, this is increasingly becoming a daily reality for journalists in China. He is fine and was able to finish his story a few minutes later,” they wrote.

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

The media outlet, however, didn’t clarify immediately why den Daas was interrupted. NOS editor-in-chief Marcel Gelauff told Algemeen Dagblad the incident was a “painful illustration” of how China treats journalists”.

“Sjoerd has often told and shown that it is difficult as a journalist in China. There is a far-reaching tendency to curtail freedoms, and this may be even stronger because of Corona,” Gelauff said as per The Daily Beast.

Here’s how the internet has reacted to the incident:

This happened to a Dutch journalist reporting LIVE outside the #OpeningCeremony earlier today. It's day one of the Olympics in Beijing. https://t.co/Sq9okLVFWl

— Tom Harrington (@cbctom) February 4, 2022

Wow. While reporting from the Winter @Olympics in Beijing, a Dutch journalist is manhandled by a presumed police officer during a live broadcast. #PressFreedom https://t.co/UJHpkoSVvA

— Kyle Matthews (@kylecmatthews) February 4, 2022

What press freedom looks like during the Chinese @Olympics https://t.co/76WLZBIORH

— 𝘽𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙪𝙢𝙚 (@BryanPassifiume) February 4, 2022

Surprise @NOS broadcast shows #China PSB blocking @sjoerddendaas on camera—preventing journalists from working. #PressFreedom supposedly guaranteed in @Olympics Charter+host contract—but is visibly not protected #Beijing2022#BeijingWelcomesYou https://t.co/oHn62OsX7A pic.twitter.com/ZpaaJXOocc

— Minky Worden (@MinkysHighjinks) February 4, 2022

Nothing says "Welcome to the Beijing Olympics!" quite like a Chinese police "physical intervention" targeting a foreign journalist in the middle of a live stand-up shot. Background via @politico China Watcher https://t.co/vUtdfH4Thn https://t.co/7aNpR30tCD

— Phelim Kine “老 康“ (@PhelimKine) February 4, 2022

Which is why this is not being shown “live”#HotMess #Olympics please bring our athletes and journo’s around the world, back home safely. #WWIII

— Charlie🕊 (@charolyn_) February 5, 2022

Perhaps the resposne to this is for all Western media to simply stop covering the Winter Olympics. The Chinese regime craves the attention of the winter games, and yet there is no need to cover them. https://t.co/rmJgEUMYz6

— David B Frank (@dbf78) February 4, 2022

That is insane! I just can’t even wrap my head around what is going on in our world right now.

— Ducks Can Resist Too 🌊💙🦆 (@dhershiser) February 5, 2022

@iocmedia will take cash and run every time. They don’t care what happens in a country as long as it pays, and they don’t care about what happens when it’s over.

— Jonathan Snaggletooth (@jm_snaggletooth) February 5, 2022

Why would anyone even bother to participate in this utterly dystopian event? It's madness. I get depressed just watching this shit. The Olympics should be associated with happiness, health and freedom, not this totalitarian bs.

— Blackcatseven (@BC7casino) February 4, 2022

Not just athletes, but members of the press in Beijing have been subjected to strict pandemic protocols before and during their time in the city, including the mandatory use of a health-monitoring app and daily RT-PCR tests.