Denise Ho: the Cantopop star and pro-democracy activist arrested in Hong Kong

Ho’s arrest marks the first time a popstar of global renown has been detained for a political crime after Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong 18 months ago in response to months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The artist had long been an outspoken public figure. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, she is hero to the region’s LGBT community, as one of the first local celebrities to come out almost a decade ago.

She was actively involved in the city’s pro-democracy movement, testifying at the US Capitol about reports of police brutality during the protests, as well as serving as a trustee for a now defunct humanitarian fund for arrested or injured protesters.

“Denise Ho has been the most vocal and popular artist in Hong Kong who dares to oppose Beijing,” Sunny Cheung, one of the activists who had travelled with Ho to the US, told the Guardian.

Ho sought to comfort her fans on Facebook after her arrest. “I am feeling OK. Friends who are concerned about me, please don’t worry.” The post drew thousands of well wishes within hours.

“Hang in there!,” one user wrote. “This is too ridiculous! Please be ok!” wrote another.

In a creative industry where access to the lucrative mainland Chinese market has swayed many Cantonese artists to refrain from angering Chinese sensitivities, Ho emerged in 2014 as a voice of defiance when she joined the Umbrella Movement and demanded wider democracy with thousands of other Hongkongers.

“When I first saw the teargas fired into the peaceful crowds … I decided, regardless of all the so-called consequences, that I had to speak my mind,” she said in 2019.

The consequences for Ho’s career came long before Wednesday’s arrest. In 2014, Chinese authorities banned her from performing on the mainland. In the years that followed, brands and other celebrities shunned her, while some of her concerts in Hong Kong were cancelled.