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Hong Kong protesters call for 'Mulan' boycott after star Liu Yifei publicly supports police

The actress portraying a legendary Chinese warrior found herself in a real-life battle Thursday.

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Liu Yifei, who is starring in the lead role in Disney's upcoming live-action remake of "Mulan," went on social media Thursday to support the police as Hong Kong's pro-democracy, anti-brutality protests continue, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong," Liu, who was born in China, posted on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter, CNN reported.

People sympathizing with the Hong Kong protesters immediately went on Twitter to condemn Liu's post, accusing of her of supporting police brutality and using the hashtag #BoycottMulan.

Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are blocked by China's regime, but that did not stop posters from expressing their disappointment to Liu, Variety reported.

Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is a naturalized American citizen.

The boycott was started by a Reddit-like online discussion forum in Hong Kong, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Posters on Lihkg have organized protests in Hong Kong and fundraising campaigns, the newspaper reported.

The Hong Kong protests began peacefully in June, but have since disintegrated into frequent clashes between protesters and police, CNN reported.

Liu has appeared on television dramas since the mid-2000s and has been in "The Forbidden Kingdom," "Outcast" and "The Chinese Widow."

Liu is not the only Chinese celebrity to comment about the situation in Hong Kong, Actor Jackie Chan, a native of Hong Kong, called for peace Thursday during an interview with China's broadcaster CCTV, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, pop star Denise Ho, who was born in Hong Kong, has supported the protesters, CNN reported.