A director of a Hong Kong drama that made an apparent reference to support for the city’s protest movement has been forced to resign, local media reported Wednesday.
The Sept. 9 episode of the long-running series “Come Home Love: Lo and Behold” came to attention after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a pair of yellow cleaning gloves, one of which was folded to show only one finger while the other showed all five.
Some said the arrangement of the gloves alluded to the popular protest slogan, “five demands, not one less.” On pro-government Facebook groups and pages, including one called “Love China, Love Hong Kong,” netizens suggested boycotting the drama.
According to Apple Daily, a director of the show called Justin was forced to resign over the incident. A source told the local paper that TVB, the show’s broadcaster, did not want to fire him directly so they could avoid paying him the full severance.
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It is not known who rearranged the gloves, or if it was actually intended to be a reference to the protests. Apple Daily reported that the director had been with TVB for eight years.
A TVB spokesperson said earlier that the company was “conducting an investigation” and would deal with the matter seriously if “someone was found to have sabotaged it.”
In the episode’s online reruns, the scene has been replaced with a different cut showing the gloves placed normally.
TVB is traditionally seen as a pro-government broadcaster, with critics saying that the station’s reports tend to take the side of the police while condemning the protesters.
Yesterday, police said they arrested a 25 year-old post-production staffer from TVB. He allegedly incited people to damage MTR facilities and the TV station’s equipment.
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