A white South African woman who moved to Hong Kong has become a topic of discussion on social media after a video of her making a plea for Hong Kong protests to stop went viral.

The young woman dressed in a yellow dress was in tears as she explained to AFP journalist Elaine Yu that she moved from South Africa to get away from protests. Earlier she had knelt before the Chinese police with her hands in prayer.

“South Africa has this…I don’t want this. This is not the Hong Kong that I’ve learnt to love. Everyone in Hong Kong is so loveable and welcoming for all foreigners and then to experience this … it hurts me,” she said.

When she was asked by journalists what she thinks about the police’s actions towards protesters she said there is a good and a bad side to both parties.

“There is a good and a bad to both protesters and there is a good and a bad to police and I just wish that both sides would just stop. Like I understand what they are fighting for and appreciate what everyone is fighting for but this is not what we are supposed to be like. We’re supposed to be fighting together not against each other.”

“This is not the Hong Kong I want to be in, like really I don’t,” she said.