Chinese Quarantine Officer Tells Woman Without Mask to "Kneel Down"

Male quarantine officers subdued two women by force and tied their hands and feet
Public security denies, stating "Women forcibly entered quarantine control without COVID-19 testing"

A woman in Guangzhou, China, kneeling while being restrained for not wearing a mask. Photo by Hong Kong 01 capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Controversy erupted after Chinese quarantine officers tied up the hands and feet of two women who tried to enter a building without wearing masks and forced them to kneel.

According to local media such as Hong Kong 01 and foreign news on the 19th, two women in their 20s clashed with 5 to 6 quarantine officers in Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province on the morning of the 18th. A video of the incident posted online shows a group of men wearing blue protective suits and security uniforms surrounding the women in the beginning. Then, one woman aggressively confronted the quarantine officers, pointing her finger and shouting. Soon after, one woman was subdued by two men while lying on the ground, and another man brought cable ties to bind her hands and feet. Another woman was knocked down by three men, as captured in the video. She fiercely resisted by stepping on the foot of the man holding her from behind and kicking backward, but was overpowered and fell. Like the other woman, her hands were tied behind her back. The quarantine officers then forced one woman to kneel, while the other lay collapsed beside her. Several citizens witnessed the situation, taking photos and videos, which were soon uploaded online, escalating the issue.

Soon after, a person presumed to be one of the bound women posted about the incident on Weibo, China's social networking service. The women claimed that they went out to receive a food delivery, and a conflict arose when one of them lost her mask. The woman who posted stated, "My friend was somewhat emotionally agitated. Even though we did not use physical force, they crushed us, and my friend's clothes were torn." She also claimed, "They (the quarantine officers) prevented us from reporting to the police and used violence against us before even checking our health codes."

In response, Chinese netizens criticized the quarantine officers. Comments included, "How can personal freedom be restricted to that extent?" "They are not law enforcement agencies and have no clear grounds for regulation. Can they do anything in the name of an epidemic?" "Can people be tied up just because they cause a commotion?" Following this, videos and photos related to the incident were quickly deleted from Weibo.

As the issue spread widely, the Haizhu District Public Security authorities issued a statement. Through their official Weibo account, they rebutted, saying, "One of the women was not wearing a mask, and both had not undergone nucleic acid testing since the 30th of last month but tried to forcibly enter the quarantine-controlled area." They also added, "The on-site quarantine officers repeatedly persuaded them, but the women did not cooperate and used abusive language." Guangzhou police told Chinese media that the incident is currently under investigation.

Earlier this month, after a surge in COVID-19 cases in various parts of Guangzhou, lockdown orders were imposed. On the 14th, hundreds of people took to the streets in Haizhu District to protest the COVID-19 lockdown measures, and the public security forces used high-pressure water cannons to suppress the citizens.