Three arrested for disrespecting anthem at Hong Kong W’Cup Qualifier

• Published On: 07 June 2024 at 11:52

Three persons were arrested for turning their backs and remained seated during China's national anthem before Hong Kong's home World Cup qualifier against Iran, police said Friday.

Football fans in Hong Kong used to boo the national anthem as a form of political protest, but the government banned the practice in 2020 as part of a broader crackdown following massive democracy protests in the city.

Police said two men and a woman were arrested at Hong Kong Stadium on Thursday because they "turned their backs toward the pitch and did not stand for the playing of the national anthem".

"Police stressed that anyone who publicly and intentionally insults the national anthem in any way commits a crime," said a statement.
Hong Kong is a special administrative area of China, yet it participates under its own name in numerous international sports, including football.

During the politically turbulent 2010s, the Hong Kong team served as a symbol of civic pride and, on occasion, anti-government sentiment.

The Chinese national anthem was often drowned out by boos before Hong Kong matches, which enraged local and mainland officials.

Soon after Beijing imposed a broad national security rule on Hong Kong in 2020, the financial hub enacted a separate local ordinance criminalizing insults to the anthem.