KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — With days to go before the 95th Academy Awards, a petition has been initiated against Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen that his invitation to be a presenter at the ceremony be rescinded.
The petition, which had since attracted over 50,000 signatures, was over the John Wick: Chapter 4 star's support for the Chinese Communist Party, Hong Kong Free Press reported.
Calling themselves a group of people from Hong Kong, the petition which started on Saturday (March 4), had set a target of 75,000 signatures.
In a letter attached with the petition, the petitioners described Yen as “a supporter of the Chinese Communist regime” who “has made several remarks in support of the Chinese government’s policies, including supporting the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and accusing Hong Kong protesters of being rioters.”
Yen’s remarks, they claimed, had violated "the spirit of freedom of speech” and denied Hongkongers’ rights to fight for freedom and democracy.
“If the Oscars Committee continues to invite such a person as a guest presenter, it will damage the image and reputation of the film industry and cause serious harm to human rights and moral values,” the letter said.
During a recent interview with GQ, Yen claimed that Hong Kong’s anti-extradition bill unrest in 2019 were not protests but a riot. Stating his stand would upset some people, Yen said he was speaking from his own experience.
