With International Women's Day upon us, a Weibo post by actress Ma Li calling out an alleged sexual harasser got kudos from hundreds of thousands of netizens.
Ma, who is best known for her comedic roles in movies like Goodbye Mr. Loser (2015), wasn't laughing when she encountered the man at a Shenzhen supermarket who she claims groped her. In a Weibo post on March 5, she angrily recounted the incident.
"Today in a certain supermarket in Shenzhen I came across a butt-grabbing pervert..."
A shot from Goodbye Mr. Loser, featuring Ma Li
For a few seconds, Ma wrote, she considered "quietly letting him walk away," but in the end she decided to "point out his evil conduct in public."
"If I didn't speak out, who knows how many women this kind of pervert would continue to harass."
Ma reported the incident to a security guard, who helped her look for surveillance footage she could use as proof. It turned out, though, that the supermarket hadn't installed a camera in that particular corner. Since the suspect refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing whatsoever, the police had no choice but to let him go.
"...I'm very angry and also very helpless...because this kind of person is too common, most females would choose silence, but I don't want to be silent!"
In concluding, Ma tagged the Shenzhen police force's Weibo and posted pictures of her alleged harasser.
By the evening of March 7, Ma's post had garnered well over 250,000 likes. Top commenters included actor and director Pan Changjiang, who wrote, "It's right to to speak out, you're very brave! I give you..." followed by around 50 thumbs-up emojis.
Other upvoted comments encouraged Ma, insulted the groper or both.
Despite the general outpouring of sympathy, it's possible that Ma will face legal consequences for posting photos of the man she claims harassed her.
According to Sina Entertainment, Beijing Youth Daily consulted a local lawyer who said that the actress may have violated anti-defamation laws. Depending on how easy it is to identify the man from his modified pictures online and whether any proof of the groping can be found, Ma might have to pay a price for 'speaking out' about sexual harassment.
[Images via Ma Li, 4493 Wallpaper]
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