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Comment by alasdair_ | Hacker News Reader

I, and several friends, all have tickets. We're still deciding what form of protest will be most effective (too overt and the message gets quickly lost when security kicks you out).

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It might be too subtle and difficult to organize but it would be pretty funny and effective if _everyone_ showed up as Mei. It would be really hard for Blizzard to penalize anyone for it but the message would be pretty clear if enough people did it.

The problem is the Chinese fans are also using Mei for patriotic messages now, especially after the voice actress sided with China.

>especially after the voice actress sided with China

Elise Zhang has not taken any sort of public position on the Hong Kong protests at all. Someone living in China and celebrating their national holiday while stating they love their homeland is not the same thing as taking a position on every policy and action of said country.

I celebrate July 4th and love America. That does not mean that I believe that America can do no wrong, or that I believe we are on the right end of every decision. I have taken to the streets and protested the actions of our leadership - does this disqualify me from loving America and celebrating it for the good parts?

Try to copy a liberty-oriented message HK'ers are using and send it back.

For example, create a replica of their Lady Liberty and put it on the roof of the conference center or nearby hotel:

https://news.yahoo.com/protesters-erect-lady-liberty-statue-...

Or recreate "FREE HK" in neon lights and display somewhere prominent near Blizzcon:

https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/di1vjiAhE.3d29i_PNSPng--~B...

Basically, ping them back, let them know the outside world is getting their message and supporting them.

I'll be attending. I made a small umbrella patch (it's in the style of the HK flag) that I'm going to pin to my t-shirt both days. I also think that an #eyeforhongkong style approach would be very successful, but is hard to coordinate.

Organize online with others. If enough people protest together it would be a really bad look for Blizzard to kick them all out.

Leverage the Q&A section(s)! Be sure to have a good, legitimate question about the game (in case they're screening them), but follow it up by asking, for example, "what is your opinion of Chairman Xi Jinping?"

Make it more focused: "What circumstances do you think justify censorship?"

"too overt and the message gets quickly lost when security kicks you out"

True, but also be prepared to be searched. If security can't legally search people, given the size of the event, they will very likely have police to patrol and do random checks "in case of terrorism", so hide your HK shirts, signs etc. because they would almost surely be confiscated for "inciting violence". If Blizzard fears any negative demonstration, they'll probably use every means for painting those supporting HK protests as violent disruptors and have police arresting them.

Who really cares? If China's totalitarian soft power is being displayed at conferences, they can all burn so far as I'm concerned.

What? This reads like fantasy.

Yes, totally. But any company in a slippery situation like Blizzard is now would do anything to avoid negative backlash, both at home and away, since there are tons of customers and money at stake anyway. Let's say Chinese govt says "if we see a single sign of support towards HK protesters all your contracts end down the toilet"; what would they do? I'd never put limits to human creativity and destructivity when there's enough motivation just like in this case.

Since we are on HN you should make it some what technical in nature. Blinking lights on your costume but if someone was to look at the lights it would be blinking in Morse Code "Free Hong Kong!". Or discrete QR codes you put on your costumes and try and put them if front of as many cameras as possible. The QR code of course leading to your website of choosing. I am sure there are lots of neat ideas smarter people then me can come up with. Good luck.

The easiest, safest and very noticeable one is to wear a T-shirt with relevant message.

Flash mobs of Do You Hear the People Sing, every hour on the hour.

You could all wear "Winnie the Pooh China" shirts. If you get kicked out for those, that will really be the shit hitting the fan for them. That's not even protest. That's simple freedom of expression.

They will just refuse entry. Wearing a MAGA shirt or hat, or a tshirt with various profanities is also freedom of expression, but is routinely banned in many private events including airports.

Edit: You can be banned from airlines since they are privately owned, but not airports since they are publicly owned.

In the US? I would be very surprised post Cohen v. California.

I would argue that a courthouse is a very different place than a privately owned location.

It’s not actually banned. There’s a Winnie the Pooh ride in Shanghai Disneyland.

You can also watch Winnie the Pooh cartoons on Chinese streaming services.

Can you share a link to the cartoon?

Broadcast a good wifi hotspot name of course.

Fantastic idea!

xi_pooh_5g

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