Protesters in Hong Kong are calling for a boycott of the upcoming live-action Mulan film after its star voiced support for the local police force.
Hong Kong media reports Chinese actress Liu Yifei has reposted a pro-police comment on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where she has almost 66 million followers.
The social media stir follows violent clashes in Hong Kong between pro-democracy protesters and police, with authorities accused of heavy-handed tactics towards protesters.
“I also support Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now,” the post said. “What a shame for Hong Kong.”
Ms Liu’s post received praise on Weibo - but the reaction was not the same on Twitter.
While Twitter is blocked in China, Ms Liu’s message still caused waves on the platform, leading to the trending of #BoycottMulan.
Some Twitter users have accused Ms Liu, who is a United States citizen, of supporting police brutality.
Others criticised the actress for enjoying democratic freedoms in the US which are not currently available to some in Hong Kong.
Ms Liu is not the only movie star who has courted criticism for weighing in on Hong Kong's political unrest.
Jackie Chan, who was born in the region, described the protests as “sad and depressing” and pledged support for the Chinese flag in a televised interview.
The protests began as opposition to proposed extradition legislation which would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.
Hong Kong’s government has since suspended the bill, but demonstrators want it fully withdrawn.
Demonstrator demands have since broadened to include calls for greater democratic reforms and for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to resign.
