Café wins support after being targeted for backing HK police

Ngan Lung Café in Hong Kong with signs which read "We Support HK Police." (Photo/Chinanews.com)

A one-person café in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been thrust into the limelight as many people poured in to support its owner after she was bullied online for backing Hong Kong police.

Li Hoi-wo, the owner of Ngan Lung Café in Hong Kong, has been bullied by protesters for a couple of months for putting up signs that read "We Support HK Police" on the wall of her café, which she took from a pro-Hong Kong police rally on June 30.

Signs saying "We Support HK Police" are seen on the wall of Ngan Lung Café in Hong Kong. (Screenshot of CCTV)

Her move received backlash from protesters, who attacked her online and made fake allegations about her café to government agencies.

"They used bad language and reported me to different government agencies, saying that I employ illegal workers and that there are food hygiene issues," Li said.

However, despite these acts of malice, Li said she doesn't regret her actions.

"I support the Hong Kong police who safeguard our city. I'm not doing anything wrong, so I don't regret it," Li told Chinanews.com. 

A tourist from Wenzhou city, southeastern China's Zhejiang province, expresses his support for Li Hoi-wo with a hug. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

After the media reported her story, hundreds of people came to her small restaurant to show their support. Hong Kong locals and mainlanders thronged into her restaurant while her neighbors volunteered to work, letting her know that she was not alone.

Other people who were unable to come to her café also expressed their support online. On Dazhong Dianping, a leading life information and review platform in China, her restaurant has topped the list of tea cafés in Hong Kong.

"Her act of supporting the Hong Kong police deserves encouragement, as the police have done many things for us," said Mr. Liu, a customer at her café.

Li said the restaurant would close early at 3 p.m. on Aug. 17 so she could go to Tamar Park to attend the "Oppose Violence, Save Hong Kong" rally.

During an interview with chinanews.com on Aug. 17, Li said the restaurant would close early at 3 p.m. that day so she could go to Tamar Park to attend the "Oppose Violence, Save Hong Kong" rally. So far, she has attended three pro-Hong Kong police rallies.

"I know my strength is limited, but no one should be left behind. I want to say that I support the Hong Kong police," Li told CGTN.

"All of us are struggling for a better life every day. I hope people, both young and old, find a way to make Hong Kong as peaceful and secure as it was before," she said.