A post by Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei pledging support for the Hong Kong police in the wake of unrest fueled the hashtag #BoycottMulan trended on Thursday.
“I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong,” the star of the forthcoming live-action “Mulan” remake posted on Twitter-like Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to CNN.
Twitter lit up in defense of the protesters in Hong Kong, who delayed departing flights during an airport occupation earlier this week and who accuse the police of excessive force. According to CNN, the protests began peacefully in June to demonstrate against a now-suspended extradition bill, but have become more violent and resulted in clashes with police. Given the chance to tell their side of the story, one senior officer told CNN, “If they don’t use violence, we don’t use force.”
“[H]ow tone deaf do you have to be to support police brutality when you just filmed a character who is supposed to stand against oppression in its raw form? Pound sand,” wrote one Twitter user of Yifei’s post.
“Disney’s Mulan actress, Liu Yifei, supports police brutality and oppression in Hong Kong,” wrote another. “Liu is a naturalized American citizen. it must be nice. meanwhile she pisses on people fighting for democracy.”
A representative for Yifei did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Disney released the teaser for “Mulan” during halftime of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July. The film hits theaters in March 27, 2020.