Some journalists tried but were unable to rescue the man, with protestors accusing those journalists of being undercover agents.

The protestors demanded that the journalists produce identity documents to prove that they were reporters.

The man was later rescued after riot police arrived at the airport.

Shortly after Fu was detained and assaulted, Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin confirmed on his Sina Weibo account that Fu works for the media organization.

Hu said the protesters’ actions were “shameless” and “cowardly”.

Hu urged protesters, whom he called “mobs”, to respect journalists.

“If these radical protesters in Hong Kong could conduct brutal lynching against journalists, then you tell me, should we stop calling you mobs, but ‘terrorists’?” Hu asked.

In a letter to Hu, the Hong Kong Association of Media Veterans condemned what happened to Fu at the airport.

The association, with a membership of more than 1,000 media professionals, said Fu has shown the world how to be a professional reporter.

The Hong Kong Federation of Journalists also issued a condemnation of the incident. It is unacceptable that such atrocious acts happened in the airport, considered among the most popular with tourists internationally, the federation said.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said what the protestors did to Fu was "lynching" and reckless. It has tainted Hong Kong's reputation in the international community, the city's largest political party said in a statement.

The Federation of Trade Unions, the city's largest union, also denounced the violence, saying that what protestors did was lawless and in defiance of Hong Kong’s rule of law, morals and ethics. They bring shame to Hong Kong, the statement said.