A Vancouver actor says she was tricked into holding a protest sign outside the court where Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s extradition hearing is underway.
Thirty-two-year-old Julia Hackstaff says an acquaintance reached out to her on Facebook offering $100 for a two-hour acting job.
Hackstaff says she arrived at the given address Monday morning, then was sent to the British Columbia Supreme Court where she was told to hold a sign in support of Meng.
She says she thought it was a poorly organized production until a reporter started asking her pointed questions and she realized she wasn’t dealing with another actor.
It’s unclear who was behind the protest-for-hire and Hackstaff says she left right away without being paid and believes the acquaintance who contacted her was also a victim of the scam.
Benjamin Howes, a spokesman in Huawei’s international media affairs department, says in an email the company had no involvement with the protesters or supporters outside the courthouse.