In July 2020, a highly restrictive national security law imposed by Beijing came into effect in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, prompting pro-democracy activists and other residents to consider fleeing. In response, activist Joshua Wong provided a hopeful message inspired by Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok.A repurposed version of that message was recently seen across billboards welcoming Hong Kongers into the United Kingdom, which recently announced a new visa scheme tailored for Hong Kong permanent residents with a British National (Overseas) passport. "Hong Kong is not a place," the message reads. "Hong Kong is its people."
The Thor: Ragnarok quote was initially brought into use within Hong Kong when Joshua Wong, former secretary-general of the pro-democratic party DemosistÅ, tweeted it out after news came out that his friend and fellow party member Nathan Law had gone into self-exile in the UK, shortly after the national security law came into effect on July 1.
The billboard campaign was started by Stand with Hong Kong, a grassroots organization that formed in 2019 to aid the Anti-Extradition Bill protests and the subsequent pro-democracy movement that quickly evolved from it. The organization continues to support the movement, largely from abroad, since the national security criminalizes opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or pro-Beijing facets of Hong Kong. That became clearer this year, when 55 prominent pro-democracy activists and politicians were arrested in January, 47 of which have been charged with conspiracy to commit subversion.
Politicians and activists from the United Kingdom such as Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten, Luke de Pulford and others, have been critical of China's actions in and around the special administrative region, including the Chinese government's continued violations of the Sino-British Joint Declaration-- meant to guarantee Hong Kong's freedom and democracy until 2047.
In response to the continued erosion of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong, the UK launched a visa scheme to provide approximately 5.7 million Hong Kongers with a pathway into the country, along with a £43 million ($52 million) package to help them settle in. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stated that the UK has a "proud history of providing protection to those who need it." More than 27,000 applications have already been made.
Thor: Ragnarok, directed by Taika Waititi, opened in theaters in 2017 to critical acclaim. Both critics and audiences praised the film's comedic tone and color. The film grossed $854 million on a budget of $180 million. Waititi will return to direct Thor: Love and Thunder, which also sees the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, this time taking on the mantle of the God of Thunder. The fourth instalment in the Thor franchise is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2022.
Source: Twitter