A cake depicting the ongoing Hong Kong pro-democracy protests was disqualified from a cake decorating competition in Birmingham over the weekend, in a controversial move that sparked cries of  political censorship. 

The entry from the 3rd Space café in Hong Kong recreated many symbols synonymous with the five-month protest, including umbrellas, a Guy Fawkes mask, yellow helmets, and dry ice to depict tear gas smoke.

However, in an Instagram post, the café claimed that it had been told it was barred from the competition because “the content and message behind the cake has been viewed as offensive and led to complaints from attendees.”

Cake International, the organiser, which describes itself as “an inclusive platform” acknowledged that the entry had been removed, but said on its Facebook page that the “difficult decision” was prompted by “complaints about its content with some threatening to damage the piece.”

It added that “we have judged this entry based on the cake decorating skills and not the subject matter” and claimed that the cake was oversized. 

Cake International cake decorating competition is held in UK.
Why are #HongKongProtests themed elements censored in cake decorating? Where is the “inclusivity” for freedom of expression?

Post by the #HongKong participant: https://t.co/Xkj8gkm4W2

.@thecakeshows #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/NXMX3wlwQp

— #HKResist Fight for Hong Kong (@Fight4HongKong) November 3, 2019

The café maintains it was a victim of “political censorship” and many of the show’s fans appeared to agree.  

Some replied to the Facebook post with sarcastic posts showing a cake decorated as the Chinese flag as the “winner”, while many others questioned the “oversized” claim and asked why the cake’s creator had been punished instead of those threatening the entry. 

“Regardless of any political motive behind this cake… ANYONE threatening to destroy a fellow competitors work,should be removed and banned from future shows,” pointed out Julie Dickens, the CEO of Kraftykook’s Kitchen Kreations. 

“As a competition you cannot have these threats when people take a dislike to someone else’s work.”

Demonstrations began in Hong Kong in June, triggered by a contentious bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China. 

They have since snowballed into a broader demand for universal suffrage and police accountability, and protests have at times been violent. 

The protest movement has prompted clashes between pro-Beijing and pro-Hong Kong students on university campuses around the world, including the UK. However, the cake competition controversy appears to be a first.