Ahead of BlizzCon’s opening ceremony, more than a dozen protesters have assembled outside the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, where the event is held.
Multiple groups of protesters are expected to demonstrate outside the convention center throughout the weekend. Groups assembling now told Polygon they’ve been on-site all night. They’re handing out free T-shirts that feature Chinese Overwatch hero Mei expressing support for Hong Kong. Support for Hong Kong has spilled over into the event itself, too. On the show floor, we spotted a person dressed as Winnie the Pooh, a character banned in China after people started comparing the bear to Chinese president Xi Jingping.
The protestors, some of whom are wearing face masks and gas masks, are also giving away stickers and signage supporting the liberation of Hong Kong in addition to their “Mei with Hong Kong” T-shirts. The group is stationed hundreds of feet away from the actual convention center, as multiple security stations requiring a RFID wristband to pass through stand between them and BlizzCon proper.
Protests are in support of Hearthstone pro Ng “blitzchung” Wai Chung, who was suspended in October for expressing support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong during an official broadcast. Blitzchung was originally banned from Hearthstone esports for a year, but Blizzard reduced his suspension to six months after intense criticism from all angles — including Congress.
Mei cosplayer zephronica, who asked Polygon to keep her name private, will be on-site at BlizzCon wearing her revised outfit — now emblazoned with the Hong Kong flag.
“I have family in Hong Kong and I have been watching the protest for months now, and there was nothing I could really do to help those in Hong Kong,” zephronica told Polygon last week. “When the internet decided to make Mei the symbol of democracy, I knew that my chance has finally come to make a difference.”
Was gonna burn this cosplay, but this is a much better use of it. #MeiSupportsHongKong from HongKong
A box truck, with LED signage that reads “Mei with Hong Kong” on the back, is also driving around the Anaheim Convention Center area. The truck’s rotating signage criticizes multiple American business, including Blizzard, Vans, and Reddit, for deferring to Chinese interests over democratic pursuits. Online, people continue to use the #BoycottBlizzard hashtag in support of the protests. Thousands of people have marked themselves interested in attending protests at BlizzCon on Facebook and elsewhere around the internet — though it’s unclear how many will show up throughout the event.
As Hong Kong supporters assemble in Anaheim, protests are ongoing in Hong Kong as demonstrators fight for full democracy, among other demands.
BlizzCon’s opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. EDT.