BREAKING. South Africa's David McKenzie of CNN International roughly manhandled in China for reporting news from a public space.

The South African TV reporter David McKenzie in China working for CNN International (DStv 401) was roughly manhandled, screamed at, and CNN International's camera even broken by aggressive Chinese police as David McKenzie tried to report in Beijing from a public space on a court case.

The Chinese government and police cracked down on media coverage as an activist court trial started in Beijing.

Other international journalists and reporters were reportedly also roughed up. BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 400) reporter Martin Patience was also intimidated, as was Sky News (DStv 402) reporter Mark Stone.

"This is a public space. There is no need to shout at me," David McKenzie said to the aggressive Chinese police woman who grabbed him.

While police members started to flap around David McKenzie, he kept on reporting, explaining why the activist Xu Zhiyong  is in jail and on trial in China.

The Chinese authorities then physically dragged David McKenzie and his crew away, threw them in a van, drove them away, took away the crew's phones, confiscated their IDs and broke CNN's video camera, physically pulling it apart.

"They're physically manhandling me. This is a public space. I'm allowed to report. I'm allowed to report. We're reporters. We're reporting in a public space," said David McKenzie as he was taken away.

David McKenzie in his filed story talks of the strong-arm tactics the Chinese government and Chinese police use against journalists, and how it's even worse for ordinary Chinese living in that country.

Here is the story of David McKenzie from CNN International being attacked and dragged away in Beijing for being a journalist and covering news:

http://goo.gl/tdm2S5
 
Here is the story of Mark Stone from Sky News harassed in Beijing, China. "Why can't I report this? I'm allowed to be here.":

http://goo.gl/0m9pG3