Protesters boo national anthem
HONG KONG - Anti-government protests that have roiled Hong Kong for more than three months spread to the sports field on Tuesday, as many local fans defied Chinese law to boo the country’s national anthem ahead of a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran.
The latest sign of unrest in the former British colony followed another weekend of sometimes violent clashes, in which police firing teargas engaged in cat-andmouse skirmishes with protesters who at times smashed windows and started fires in the streets. Earlier on Tuesday, the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, warned against foreign interference in Hong Kong’s affairs, adding that an escalation of violence could not solve social issues in the Asian financial hub. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland.
But many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is steadily eroding that autonomy. Weeks of protests over a now withdrawn extradition Bill have evolved into a broader backlash against the government and greater calls for democracy.
At Hong Kong’s main stadium on Tuesday night, a sizeable contingent of the crowd of more than 10,000 football fans jeered and held up “boo” signs as China’s anthem played before the game, while others chanted “Revolution of our time” and “Liberate Hong Kong”.
Disrespecting the national anthem is an offence in China.