A Hong Kong protester sits on the shoulders of another while spray-painting an image of the infamous Pepe the Frog meme.

Filmed on August 17, the demonstrator draws the controversial meme on a wall before giving the frog a hat with the word "press" on it.

Pro-democracy activists have also been seen holding signs with the Pepe the Frog image and using it in social messaging apps.

The frog was listed as a hate symbol in 2016 by the Anti-Defamation League after racists and hate groups had adopted the meme.

However, according to Hong Kong-based photojournalist Alex Hofford, who filmed the video, protesters are using the image in an attempt to attract attention in the US and not because they are alt-right or wish to mock the press.

"The protesters have their own quirky sense of humour that doesn't always translate," Hofford says.