Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has been accused of shedding “crocodile tears” during a TV interview while speaking about the tremendous public outrage over a controversial extradition bill which would allow criminal suspects to be taken to mainland China for trial.

When asked if she would withdraw the bill, Lam declared that as a mother, she could not cave in each time that her son makes a demand, explaining that while doing so might be good for their relationship in the short term, in the long term, he would become spoiled and blame her, casting the angry protesters as her spoiled children in this metaphor.

After then being asked about critics, accusing her of having “sold out Hong Kong,” Lam became teary-eyed. “I grew up here with all Hongkongers. My love for this place had driven me to make many personal sacrifices,” she said, noting that her husband had told her that she had sold herself to Hong Kong by becoming chief executive.

The interview was filmed at 8:30 am on Wednesday morning but was not aired on TVB until the evening. In the interim, thousands of protesters showed their anger with the bill and Lam’s administration by surrounding the city’s parliament building and clashing with police who fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowds.

As you might expect, the interview has not gone over well with many in Hong Kong with some publications accusing Lam of “shedding crocodile tears” on camera. Meanwhile, an image has gone viral comparing Lam’s son with “other people’s sons” using a photo of the protester who was knocked unconscious by a rubber bullet fired by police on Wednesday afternoon.