Hong Kong football fans booed the Chinese national anthem during a friendly match between Hong Kong and Laos on Thursday night, the BBC reported. When the anthem, March of the Volunteers, played at Hong Kong’s Mong Kok stadium, fans jeered and raised their middle fingers. Hong Kong won the match 4-0.
China passed a law in September making it illegal to abuse the national anthem. The law said that “attendees at events where the anthem is played are required to stand straight and remain solemn for the song under the law”, the South China Morning Post reported. However, the new measures have not yet been incorporated into Hong Kong law.
The Hong Kong Football Association refused to comment on Thursday’s incident.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, is an autonomous administrative region of China. However, there have been calls in Hong Kong for democracy and independence.
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