The question confuses many protesters, many of whom had no idea about the symbol’s racist connotations elsewhere in the world. They just like him.

“It has nothing to do with the far-right ideology in the state,” one person wrote on LIHKG, an anonymous forum that has been the center of discussion for protesters. “It just looks funny and captures the hearts of so many youngsters. It is a symbol of youth participation in this movement.”

Mari Law, a 33-year-old protester, knows how Pepe is perceived elsewhere, but said it did not matter because Pepe did not carry the same toxic reputation in Hong Kong. Most of the protesters don’t know about the alt-right association, he said.

“To me, Pepe is just a Hello Kitty-like character,” he said.

Few Hong Kongers have shown awareness online about Pepe’s sinister side. There has been little discussion about what symbolism he carries, and in the few occasions it has been pointed out, it has mostly been met with a shrug.

To Hong Kongers, he is just one of them. A sticker pack for messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp depict Pepe wearing the protesters’ signature yellow helmet, surrounded by tear gas or holding antigovernment signs. He has also been transformed into a first aid worker and a journalist holding an iPhone.