Booing national anthem isn’t a criminal offence – leader comment

Most would agree that booing your opponents’ national anthem at a sporting event is, well, not a very sporting way to behave.

A pro-democracy activist holds a placard depicting part of the musical score of the Chinese national anthem during a protest outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong (Picture: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty)

Such was the chorus of boos during God Save the Queen when Scotland played England at Hampden in 2017 that Fifa decided to fine the Scottish Football Association £4,000.

However, this sanction pales into insignificance when compared to a planned law in Hong Kong. This would make public and intentional insults to the Chinese national anthem punishable by up to three years in prison.

The law is being introduced after football fans heckled the anthem as a form of protest against the suppression of the pro-democracy movement in the semi-autonomous part of China.

Donald Trump has raged against American footballers who have kneeled during their national anthem to protest against police shootings of unarmed black people, with the US President saying they “shouldn’t be in the country” or should be fired.

It may not be sporting, it may even be offensive, but be glad you live in a free, democratic country, where ‘disrespecting’ a song will never land you in prison.