What do celebrities Denise Ho, Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Tony Leung and Chapman To say on social media about the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests?
As most people keeping an eye on the news will know, Canto-pop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze is one of the most high-profile show business celebrities to support the demonstrations.
Ho addressed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last month to call on it to remove China from the body and convene an urgent session to protect Hongkongers.
Ho’s social media posts (IG:@hoccgoomusic) consist predominantly of messages in support of the anti-extradition bill protests and her sentiments have been quoted by international media outlets including CNN and France 24.
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The singer was also an active advocate during the 2014 sit-in street protests in the city known as the “Umbrella Movement” and was arrested in December of that year for taking part in the pro-democracy movement.
Another Hong Kong singer-songwriter Anthony Wong Yiu-ming also took part in the protests last month.
Other celebrity protesters include actor Gregory Wong Chung-yiu and singer-actress Deanie Ip Tak-han.
Actor and filmmaker Chapman To expressed his opposition to the extradition bill in an episode of his talk show, Chapman To’s Lateshow, on Facebook.
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One of the commentary videos on his webpage, which has amassed more than 811,000 followers, focused on the run-in between a mob of men dressed in white-shirted and black-shirted protesters in Yuen Long on July 21, and has been shared more than 5,000 times.
While some celebrities may be openly supporting the anti-extradition bill protests, many have remained silent, perhaps fearing political repercussions. Ho, for example, has been cut off from the lucrative Chinese market.
Others perhaps fear a backlash from fans. Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh Sze-man, who has a large mainland Chinese fan base, was widely criticised online after “liking” an Instagram post showing the anti-extradition protests.
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Hong Kong-born actor Jackie Chan, who was in Taiwan on June 11 to promote his new album, expressed ignorance over the issue when reporters questioned him on his views about the demonstration: “I only just learned about the protests yesterday; I don’t know much about the matter.”
Meanwhile, a few other celebrities have taken the other side and publicly expressed support for the police.
Award-winning actor Tony Leung Ka-fai, singer-songwriter Kenny Chung and Canto-pop singer Alan Tam Wing-lun showed up at a pro-police rally at the Tamar Park in Admiralty in June.
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Tam thanked and bowed to the police force on stage during the rally, and said that the way in which the police had been attacked in Hong Kong “had not been seen by the world before”.
Chung agreed with Tam and said he couldn’t understand Hong Kong’s youth today and publicly supported the police force, which has been accused by protesters of abusing its power.
After Chung and Tam’s public support of the police force, many protesters took to the internet to voice their frustrations, with some people destroying the artists’ CDs and even vinyl discs to show their discontent.
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Canto-pop singer Denise Ho is one of most high-profile stars to support the citywide demonstrations, but she is not alone