Paid protest for Huawei CFO!

Protestors outside a Canadian courtroom pressing for the release of a senior Chinese telecommunications executive fighting extradition to the US were paid actors, they told local media. It was not clear, however, who footed the bill. A dozen men and women on Monday, at the start of the hearing considering whether or not to hand over Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to US authorities to face fraud charges, held up red and white hand-written signs that read “Free Meng” and “Trump stop bullying us.” They declined to speak to an AFP journalist at the scene. But later a handful were tracked down and spoke to Canadian media, saying they were paid Can$100 ($76) to Can$150 for two hours work that they had understood to be as extras in a movie shoot. The offer, they said, came through Facebook or acquaintances. Her extradition hearing is scheduled to last until Friday, then adjourn until a second phase scheduled for June. China’s embassy in Ottawa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the protests.