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Jackie Chan sparks outrage over comments on Hong Kong protests

Protesters in Hong Kong have come out swinging at Jackie Chan after the martial arts legend and actor called the recent events there “sad and depressing.”

Chan, who was born in Hong Kong, broke his silence on the pro-democracy demonstrations and said he hoped the semi-autonomous territory “can return to peace soon,” the UK’s Express reported.

“Hong Kong and China are my birthplaces and my home. China is my country, I love my country, I love my home,” the 65-year-old star said in an interview with the Chinese CGTN TV.

“When I saw on Weibo that CCTV had shown the ‘The Five-starred Red Flag has 1.4 Billion flag guards,’ I came here immediately,” he said, referring to a Chinese social media app.

“On the other hand, I wanted to express the most basic principles of patriotism as a Hong Kong citizen and a Chinese. I am a national flag guard,” he said.





“Furthermore, I wanted to go to this event to represent everyone’s voice,” he added. “I also deeply feel that safety, stability, and peace are just like fresh air, you never know how precious it is until you lose it.”

Chan’s comments drew a backlash on social media, where he was slammed by pro-democracy advocates as “shameless” and told that “Hong Kong hates you.”

Chan, who has been openly supportive of Beijing, sparked a similar outcry when he called Hong Kong a “city of protest” during an interview in 2012, according to news.com.au.

“The authorities should stipulate what issues people can protest over and on what issues it is not allowed,” he said at the time.





The Hong Kong protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to mainland China, but have since grown into a wider call for democratic rights in the former British colony.

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