"Turning Their Backs When China's National Anthem Plays?"... 3 Football Spectators Arrested in Hong Kong

"If convicted, may face up to 3 years imprisonment"

Three people were arrested for turning their backs when the Chinese national anthem was played during the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers held in Hong Kong. On the 7th, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) and others reported that Hong Kong police arrested three men and women the previous night on charges of violating the National Anthem Law. They were arrested for disrespecting the anthem by turning their backs when the Chinese national anthem was played before the Hong Kong-Iran match held at Hong Kong Stadium. At the scene, plainclothes police officers wearing black vests were stationed and filming the stands. The arrested individuals were released on bail that morning and are scheduled to appear before the police on the 12th.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Hong Kong police warned through social media (SNS), "The police emphasize that publicly and deliberately disrespecting the national anthem is a criminal act," adding, "If convicted, they could face a fine of up to HKD 50,000 (approximately 8.8 million KRW) and up to three years in prison."

The national anthem of Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China, is the Chinese national anthem, "March of the Volunteers." After the Chinese government enacted the Hong Kong National Security Law in June 2020, the Hong Kong Legislative Council passed amendments to the Flag and Emblem Ordinance and the National Anthem Ordinance in September of the same year. This was in response to the anti-government protests in Hong Kong that lasted over half a year in 2019, during which many citizens booed and damaged the Chinese flag when the "March of the Volunteers" was played in public places such as football stadiums, expressing anti-China sentiment.

Additionally, the Hong Kong government banned the song "Glory to Hong Kong," which was widely spread by anti-government protesters as the "national anthem of Hong Kong." "Glory to Hong Kong" is an anonymous song created during the August 2019 Hong Kong anti-government protests, containing content supporting Hong Kong's independence. It also includes the protesters' representative slogan, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" (光復香港時代革命).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.