HONG KONG – Shortly after one of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy activists was arrested this week under the Chinese government’s national security law, supporters turned into a “Mulan” meme.
The social media storm surrounding the activist, Agnes Chow, went along with Disney’s online campaign for her upcoming film “Mulan”, about the Chinese folk heroine who disguises herself as a man to stand up for her sick father in the military. Disney’s slogan: “The legend is coming.”
Supporters on Twitter salute Ms. Chow, 23, “the real Mulan.” One meme featured three images, each accompanied by lyrics: the “Mulan” star Liu Yifei (“I want the real Mulan”); the cartoon version of Mulan from Disney’s animated 1998 film (“I Said the Real Mulan”); and Ms. Chow (“Perfection”).
The dueling campaigns illustrated the power of mothers with rapid fire to serve as a cry of virtual protest: the name of Ms. Chow, along with #Mulan, has been trending for days. They also fused Hollywood fantasy with 21st century geopolitics and ancient Chinese folklore.
They come at a furious moment for Hong Kong, as activists and others lament a loss of freedom under the security law imposed six weeks ago, and as tensions deepen between China and Western nations over the fate of the semi-autonomous territory.
Ms. Chow, a former leader of the now-defunct pro-democracy group Demosisto, was arrested among 10 people Monday on suspicion of violating security law. She was arrested hours after 200 police officers converted into the newsroom of Apple Daily, a publication owned by media mogul Jimmy Lai, who is a vocal critic of the Chinese government. He, his two sons and other executives of his company were arrested.
Ms. Chow has not been formally charged, and she was released on bail. People convicted under the Security Act could be jailed for life.
“Of the four times I have been arrested, this is the most horrific,” she wrote shortly after her release.
Ms. Chow gained prominence as a student activist in 2012 and as a protest leader during the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and became one of the few female faces of Hong Kong’s youth-led pro-democracy movement at the time. Ms Chow was indicted last year in connection with an anti-government protest outside Police headquarters. But she said she did not understand why she was arrested this week under the security law, which is not retroactive.
The major protests that erupted in Hong Kong last year were marred by the coronavirus pandemic even before China enacted the Security Act, which carries much harsher potential fines for anti-government streets. That supporters have relied in part on online platforms to drive the movement and connect internationally with others.
Disney’s “Mulan”, for its part, has been at the center of an ideological divorce in Hong Kong since last year.
Ms. Liu, the Chinese actress who plays Mulan in the film, suffered a setback last August when she sided with Hong Kong police against the protesters on the Weibo microblogging platform, where she had nearly 66 million followers at the time. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
When Ms Liu shared the offer: “I support the Hong Kong police, can you beat me all now”, adding a heart and a bicep emoji, the blowback was rapid, with supporters of the protests asked for a boycott of “Mulan.” On Monday, following the arrest of Ms. Chow, some social media users again returned Ms. Liu’s criticism.
“#LiuYifei is a selfish #CCP shill who supports #PoliceBrutality in #HongKong,” one viral tweet to read. “#AgnesChow has given everything to #FightForFreedom and defending its people.” Referring to a slogan from the film, it added, “So who is really faithful brave and true?”
Neither Ms. Liu nor Disney could be reached immediately for comment.
Unlike mainland China, Hong Kong has a small domestic market with limited commercial output. But the city’s internet users have become a voice to be reckoned with, with useful and aggressive online campaigns to raise awareness about the city’s political crisis.
The release date for “Mulan”, initially set for March, has been postponed to September due to the pandemic. Disney says it has been approved for theatrical release in China.
