For those who are looking for the Olympic grit straight from the heart of Beijing, I would suggest taking a look at Ed’s blog.

I met Ed through Indymedia when we were both posting our experiences of the first day clashes at the 6th Ministerial WTO conference in 2005 in Hong Kong. A few years later, he joined me at the SCMP after a stint in HK Magazine and (I think) ATV – or TVB.

He’s been posted to Beijing to cover the Olympics for the Multimedia desk, so you can watch video content and interviews on his blog. Scroll down, though, to read about the completely unnecessary detention by Beijing police of SCMP photographer Felix Wong. Unreal.

My old colleague and flatmate Barclay Crawford had this to say about the incident:

‘To all my friends and colleagues in media across the world. What is going on? Why have you not done your duty to your fellow journalists and photographers in Hong Kong and run the pictures and video footage of the Beijing police assaulting them on Friday morning? Beijing claimed they would allow free press coverage for the games. China has blatantly shown these claims to be rubbish with the attacks yesterday. Our photographer Felix Wong was detained for six hours after being attacked by a mob of cops. Police smashed cameras, pushed cameramen off ladders and punched reporters in the neck. Hong Kong has free press under the Two Systems, One country system and the Basic Law.
Please pick up on this story. We need you over here!’

Again, another shining example of China upholding its pledge to treat journalists fairly. Good on the law. (These clashes took place around the end of July when I believe John Sweeney was filming the Panorama piece).

Pssst….Behind You, By Ed Lee