Calls to boycott the live-action adaptation of “Mulan” trended online after the film’s lead actress Liu Yifei allegedly expressed support for Hong Kong police. The movie is slated for release in 2020.
Hong Kong has been the site of pro-democracy protests for the past two months. Law enforcement has attempted to quell protests through tear gas and rubber bullets.
Based on a screenshot of the “Mulan” actress’ Weibo account, Liu backs the Hong Kong police despite allegations of police brutality.
The post shows an image from the Communist Party’s official newspaper People’s Daily with the caption, “I support Hong Kong’s police, you can beat me up now. What a shame for Hong Kong.” Liu typed the hashtag “I also support the Hong Kong police” with a heart emoji.
Online forum LIHKG, known as the Hong Kong version of Reddit, sparked the calls to boycott “Mulan,” as per The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, Aug. 15. LIHKG has served as a platform for protestors to organize and raise funds.
Though Liu’s post received support on Weibo, on Twitter and Instagram the actress faced backlash as #BoycottMulan trended.
One Sean Norton (@sdnorton) tweeted on Thursday: “Disney’s ‘Mulan actress, Liu Yifei, supports police brutality and oppression in Hong Kong. Liu is a naturalized American citizen. it must be nice. meanwhile she pisses on people fighting for democracy. retweet please. HK doesn’t get enough support. #BoycottMulan @Disney.”
Similar messages have been posted on Twitter, along with pictures and videos of police attacks against protestors. Some have highlighted how law enforcers have treated women. This week a woman became a symbol of protests after she was hit in the eye by a beanbag round from police on Aug. 11, as per The Straits Times on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
Liu moved to the United States when she was 10 and became a citizen after five years. She returned to China where she pursued an acting career. The actress has been supportive of the Chinese government, having posted on Weibo in the past about China’s claims in the South China Sea. She also promoted the “One-China policy,” which states that Taiwan is part of the sovereign state of China.
Other actors who have opposed the protests include Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai. Niña V. Guno /ra
source: entertainment.inquirer.net
