A bloody brawl between Han restaurant workers and Tibetan street vendors in Beijing has been filmed and uploaded online by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei. The footage shows a huge crowd fighting down Bejingin's populaer 'Ghost Street'. A police officer tries to intervene as various objects, including a chair, are thrown between the two groups of people. Men, women and children are all seen participating in the clash, that is finally broken up when more officers arrive on the scene. This young girl cries over one injured victim of the fighting, and this man is escorted by police, covered in blood, after suffering a wound to the head. The artist, who has been highly and openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights, says he was out with his mother when the brawl occurred around 5:30pm local time. Han Chinese witnesses told Reuters that the fight began when security workers refused to let the Tibetan street vendors operate in front of their restaurant. Around 10,000 Tibetans live in the capital, where ethnic tensions exist between them and the Han, who comprise 92% of the Chinese population. Tibetans have long called for independence from China, where riots and protests have sporadically occurred over the last few years. The dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has filmed a fight in China in which dozens of Han Chinese brawled with Tibetans in a street in Beijing. The artist, who has exhibited at London's Tate Modern but has also had run-ins with Chinese authorities himself, caught the mass bust-up on camera on Sunday. Witnesses said the scrap was between ethnic Tibetan street vendors and Beijing's native Han restaurant workers. Police were filmed trying to control the men as they hurled chairs at each other in front of a restaurant on the capital's popular 'Ghost Street'. Several were shown with bloodied faces. Nearby, a young woman was shown standing by an apparently-injured woman lying on the ground. A street brawl in Beijing filmed by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei The fight brought chaos to Beijing's Ghost Street Once the fight had been mostly dispersed, officers struggled to prevent one group, who onlookers said were Tibetan, from hurling bricks, stones and chairs at the restaurant front. Mr Ai, China's most famous contemporary artist, said he was out with his mother when he saw the brawl happening at around 5.30pm local time (0930 GMT). He said the fight appeared to be between security guards at a Sichuanese restaurant and Tibetan vendors who sell jewellery on mobile stands. Han Chinese witnesses told the Reuters newswire service that the fight had started when security workers refused to allow the vendors to sell on the pavement in front of their restaurant. Police attempt to intervene in a fight between Tibetans and Han Chinese Police attempted to intervene as the violence broke out Restaurant workers refused to speak to Reuters, and it was not immediately possible to confirm the identities of anyone involved in the incident. It was also unclear whether any brawlers were arrested or seriously injured. The restaurant windows had already been replaced on Monday morning, and workers said they were 'refurbishing.' Mr Ai was an artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. His work sunflower seeds at the Tate Modern in 2010 was seen by an estimated 3.4m people. He has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. In 2011, he was held for more than two months despite no charges being filed. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei with his work Sunflower Seeds Ai Weiwei exhibited his Sunflower Seeds work at London's Tate Modern The footage is just the latest incident in a long history of tension between Tibetans and Han Chinese. Many of those living in Tibet feel deep resentment that the region, in China's south, is being occupied by ever-increasing numbers of Han migrants since the Chinese government moved to make travel there easier. The Chinese government based in the capital Beijing regards Tibet as underdeveloped and has spoken of the need to increase the standard of living for those living there.

• published: 13 May 2013
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