IKEA Toy With Rude Name Now a Protest Symbol

IKEA stores in Hong Kong have completely sold out of the latest must-have item: A toy wolf whose name in Chinese sounds like what the South China Morning Post terms "an obscene three-word phrase in Cantonese associated with the female genitalia." Chronically unpopular chief executive CY Leung is nicknamed "the wolf," and there was a massive rush for the toy after a protester threw one at him during a meeting on the weekend, reports the BBC.

Leung, often criticized for having too-close ties to Beijing, was given the "wolf" nickname by opponents who accuse him of being long on cunning and short on integrity. IKEA—which declined to comment on any political message involving the toy—says lines formed outside stores even before they opened and the wolf is going to be out of stock until early next year. The chief's unpopularity has its silver lining for charities: The store makes a donation to UNICEF and Save the Children for every soft toy sold. (More Hong Kong stories.)