REUTERS
July 30, 2021 at 12:00 JST
From left, silver medal Daniele Garozzo of Italy, gold medal Ka Long Cheung of Hong Kong and bronze medal Alexander Choupenitch of the Czech Republic celebrate on the podium of the men’s individual Foil final competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics on July 26 in Chiba. (AP Photo)
HONG KONG--Hong Kong police said on Friday they were launching an investigation into booing of China’s national anthem in a shopping mall broadcasting live the city’s first Olympic gold medal win in 25 years earlier this week.
More than 100 people gathered briefly on Monday night in a shopping mall to watch on a wide screen Cheung Ka Long claiming the Olympic men’s individual fencing title.
Police said they fielded complaints that some people booed during the award ceremony when China’s national anthem was played, according to local media. Some shouted “We are Hong Kong,” South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
“The police have launched an investigation into the incident and will collect relevant evidence,” police told Reuters in a statement. It gave no further details.
Hong Kong passed a law in June 2020 that criminalized disrespect of China’s national anthem. Anyone found guilty of misusing or insulting the anthem could be jailed for up to three years and fined.
Monday’s shopping mall broadcast was a rare occasion for Hong Kong people to gather, with groups limited to a handful of people since early 2020 because of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 and a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing in June last year have effectively put an end to mass pro-democracy protests that started in 2019 against China’s tightening grip on the former British colony.
Since the law took effect, the most prominent pro-democracy politicians and activists have been charged and some sent to jail. Others have fled the city and are in self-exile.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities say the law was vital to restore stability and that all prosecutions are based on evidence and have nothing to do with the persons’ background or profession.
Hong Kong police arrest dozens for protesting on China holiday
October 2, 2020
Hong Kong bans handover protest as official defends law
July 2, 2021
3 former pro-democracy lawmakers arrested in Hong Kong
November 18, 2020
Hong Kong police officer’s condition improves after stabbing
July 2, 2021
Security tight in Hong Kong ahead of expected banned China national day protest
October 1, 2020As Hong Kongers seek to emigrate, some simply cannot leave
August 12, 2020
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
