Hollywood actor Christian Bale was roughed up by Chinese security guards as he tried to visit a blind legal activist whose detention has sparked international outcry.
Bale, joined by a camera crew from CNN, was confronted by four men dressed in plain clothes as he tried to visit Chen Guangcheng who has been under house arrest in the Dongshigu village for 15 months.
The Oscar-winning actor, who plays superhero Batman, can be seen being pushed and shoved by the guards in the video released by CNN. In response the guards are reported to have shouted ‘Go away!’ while physically shoving Bale and the crew on Thursday. According to the report, Bale was also punched by the guards who were aiming for his small camera in an attempt to stop him recording.
Once Bale and the crew left the area, they were pursued by a grey minivan for over half-an-hour. Chen, a blind, self-schooled lawyer, angered authorities in 2005 by exposing forced abortions as part of China’s one-child policy.
He was formally released in September 2010 after four years in jail on a charge of “blocking traffic” and damaging property in a protest. The 40-year-old has since been confined to his home along with his wife, mother and daughter, and watched around the clock by guards.
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