BEIJING, April 3 (UPI) -- Ai Weiwei, a well-known Chinese artist and government critic, was detained by police in Beijing, one of his assistants said Sunday.
Ai, the designer of the Olympic stadium in Beijing, was stopped at the capital city's airport as he attempted to board a flight to Hong Kong and has not been seen since, the assistant told the British newspaper The Guardian.
The newspaper said Ai's detention was quickly followed up by a police operation at his Beijing studio in which eight employees were detained as well. A Guardian reporter who went to the scene was quickly told to leave by uniformed and plainclothes officers.
The Guardian said the incident came amid a general crackdown on political dissidents in China. At least 23 individuals have been picked up on charges involving creating disturbances and inciting subversion. At least another dozen people were considered missing.
