Three people were arrested for turning their backs and remaining seated when China’s national anthem was played 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 show of political discontent, but the government in 2020 banned the practice as part of a wider crackdown following huge democracy protests in the city.
At Hong Kong Stadium on Thursday, police said two men and a woman were arrested because they “turned their backs toward the pitch and did not stand for the playing of the national anthem”.
The three arrested were between the ages of 18 and 31. If convicted they face up to three years in jail and a fine of HK$50,000 ($6,400).