L'Oreal shuts Hong Kong shops amid protests over China 'kowtow'

Hong Kong

L'OREAL SA closed shops throughout Hong Kong as hundreds of demonstrators protested the French cosmetic maker's decision to cancel a concert by a pro-democracy singer after Chinese consumers called for a product boycott.

The company's Lancome brand on Sunday called off a June 19 promotional concert featuring Denise Ho Wan-see, a singer known for her support of Hong Kong's Occupy Central protest movement in 2014. The state-run Global Times newspaper had earlier criticised Lancome for hiring Ho to do its publicity, sparking an Internet campaign against the brand in China.