Chinese Embassy Guards Accused of Brandishing Stun Weapons at London Protest

On July 3, two security workers at the Chinese Embassy on Portland Place were reported to have pointed electro-shock devices toward demonstrators during a candlelit vigil for Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen. Witnesses said the guards waved what appeared to be stun batons, while a Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed officers were called at around 6 p.m. No injuries were recorded and the police left after the crowd dispersed. The force said the investigation remains open and that video footage supplied by witnesses is being reviewed.

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Electro-shock weapons are prohibited under Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. Human-rights groups—including Free Tibet, Hong Kong Watch and Stop Uyghur Genocide—have written to the Prime Minister urging a waiver of diplomatic immunity so the police can investigate without obstruction. Their letter cites the 2022 Manchester consulate incident, where a protester was beaten after being pulled into the compound, prompting the Foreign Office to summon senior Chinese diplomats and leading to the departure of six officials without charges. The embassy’s premises are considered inviolable under diplomatic law, limiting police access without the ambassador’s consent.

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Luke de Pulford, founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, described the video as “unequivocal” and warned that authorities would struggle to exercise powers on inviolable embassy land. He called for immediate prosecution or expulsion of those responsible. Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister, criticised the disparity between the government’s expectation that China will obey planning rules for its new “mega-embassy” and the alleged illegal conduct of its guards.

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“The Government claims that China will obey planning rules for their new mega-embassy but even their guards aren’t obeying our laws, they’re carrying illegal weapons.” — Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister

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The Metropolitan Police continue to review evidence while human-rights organisations press for diplomatic-immunity waivers to allow a thorough inquiry. The episode follows a July 31 High Court ruling that upheld the housing secretary’s decision to approve the embassy’s new site, citing national-security considerations.

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