Red carpet ruckus

Supporters of Hong Kong democracy are up in arms over the Academy Awards’ invitation to martial arts star Donnie Yen to present an Oscar at this year’s award ceremony. Yen, a celebrity member of an elite body that advises China’s rubber-stamp parliament, has a history of supporting Chinese Communist Party positions—including repressive new Beijing policies in Hong Kong. The decision to invite Yen to take part in the awards ceremony “shows contempt for the people of Hong Kong,” said a petition on Change.org calling for him to be dropped.