Story highlights Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang stands trial in Beijing over social media posts

Supporters and journalists scuffle with public security officials

(CNN) Outspoken Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang went on trial in Beijing Monday, accused of "picking quarrels" and "inciting ethnic hatred" after a series of social media posts.

According to his indictment, Pu had made seven comments on the Twitter-like Weibo between July 2011 and May 2014 -- three criticized government officials and a pro-government author, while the rest were critical of Chinese policy in ethnically divided Tibet and Xinjiang.

The moment Chinese police prevent senior US diplomat Dan Biers from giving statement outside Pu Zhiqiang trial pic.twitter.com/1qUioILXiK — Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsin) December 14, 2015

Supporters and journalists scuffled with public security officials outside the courtroom and video posted on Twitter showed U.S. diplomat Dan Biers being shoved as he read a statement.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it viewed "with great concern any incident in which diplomats are not accorded the protection and respect consistent with their status."

In a separate statement, it urged China to release Pu, describing the charges against him as vague.

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