Chinese internet users have mobilized to flood the Twitter account of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in an escalating row over a fake photo posted by a senior Chinese diplomat that showed an Australian soldier holding a knife to a child’s throat.

Users of the infamously nationalistic Di Ba online forum called on other netizens to work round the mainland’s censorship restrictions and flood Morrison’s account on the China-banned Twitter.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday took to Twitter to post the doctored image, which showed an Australian soldier holding a blood-stained dagger to the neck of a child whose head is wrapped by part of the Australian flag. Zhao said in the post that he was shocked by the murder of Afgan civilians by Australian soldiers.

Morrison demanded that China apologize for the “repugnant” and “truly offensive” post and remove it from social media.

Di Ba administrators on Wednesday posted another digitally edited image on its Sina Weibo microblog to ridicule the Australian leader’s demand for an apology, saying that the new image was fresh ammunition for fellow netizens.

The post also compared Australians with the Nazis.

A Sina Weibo blogger with the handle BOPEEP also ridiculed Morrison by creating a three-minute music video featuring images and footage from the Australian leader’s speech. Lyrics that appeared on the video warned against playing the innocent victim and also carried a refusal to apologize.

On Tuesday, France threw its support behind Australia, with its foreign ministry saying the tweeted image was “especially shocking” and that Zhao’s comments were insulting for countries with armed forces engaged in Afghanistan.

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