Liu Yifei mulan
Actress Liu Yifei, who arrived at the red carpet of the 7th Beijing International Film Festival on April 16, 2017 in Beijing, China, has been cast as Mulan in the new Disney film. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Li Yifei, the actress that will be portraying "Mulan" in an upcoming live-action movie, has irked people in Hong Kong for siding with the police. The 31-year-old starlet was thrust into the HK controversy after expressing support for the city's law enforcers.

Hongkongers have criticized the Southeast Asian city's police force after alleging that they are using excessive force to quell anti-government demonstrators.

The actress posted her thoughts on Weibo, a popular social messaging app based in China. In her post, she said that she supports "the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong,"

Immediately after publishing her message on the internet, people critical of the Chinese government started to boycott her upcoming film. On Twitter, several Hong Kongese have lambasted the Chinese movie star for allegedly supporting police brutality.

Another user pointed out that "Liu is a naturalized American citizen." The pissed commenter added that it must be pleasing to piss on people "fighting for democracy."

Pro-China personalities, however, have praised the star on Weibo. Nearly all the comments on her post support the Hong Kong police and Xi Jinping's leadership. A pro-communist user said: "Believe in the government, believe in the Chinese central (government), believe in the country."

The protest that started peacefully in June against a now-suspended extradition bill has become violent in the past few weeks. The movement has morphed into a much darker and more volatile situation, with frequent clashes with anti-government protesters and the police.

Other Chinese celebrities have also weighed in the Hong Kong controversy. Jackie Chan, one of China's most prominent actors and martial arts film icon, believes that Hongkongers are pushing their luck.

He said that he feels the pride of being Chinese everywhere. The five-starred red flag is respected universally. After airing his comments in Mandarin, the actor was also blasted on Twitter for his nationalist approach.

Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Daniel Chan have also come out to condemn the anti-government protests. Both actors have spoken out against their violence and vandalism, most notably on public properties.

Denise Ho, a famous Chinese pop star who was born in Hong Kong, actively supports the anti-government protests. Last month she gave a speech about the remonstrances at a United Nations meeting.

International celebs have also given their thoughts on the chaotic situation. South Korean actor, Kim Eui Sung, famous for his role as the protagonist in "Train to Busan," expressed his support for the protesters. In his Instagram account, the 53-year-old actor wrote: "We are watching you, praying for you."

He also posted another photo of the infamous "Tank Man" shot from the Tiananmen Square massacre.

China