bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Jonathan White

Hong Kong’s football fans voiced their opposition to the now-suspended extradition bill at Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday night where English Premier League champions Manchester City played Kitchee.
While a planned protest to sing Do You Hear The People Sing? in the 21st minute of the match was drowned out by fans watching the football, a large number of the crowd joined in extended chants of “Free Hong Kong” after the song was finished.
Some fans also held up banners with slogans such as “No extradition to China”, “HK=police state” and “Please save HK”.
Anti-government protesters had earlier handed out leaflets to the crowds arriving for thegame.


One leaflet explained the reason for their protests, detailed the attacks at Yuen Long MTR station on Sunday night, while another listed the lyrics for the protest song.
It was sung in the 21st minute of the match, the number signifying the date of Sunday’s violence, where men dressed in white wielding sticks and metal rods indiscriminately attacked civilians. At least 45 people were injured in the attacks.

Supporters in the North Stand marked the 21st minute of the second half with another rendition of their protest song as many around the stadium clapped along. This was again followed by chants of “Free Hong Kong”. Though there were no tickets available online in the hours before kick-off, there were tickets for sale at the stadium box office.
There was an increased police presence outside the ground.
The vast majority of the fans who had been steadily streaming into the stadium from 6pm were wearing Manchester City shirts.
There had been a campaign on social media since Monday for fans to wear black clothing along with face masks and helmets, to echo the anti-extradition law protests of recent weeks.

Online news site HK01 had printed the lyrics to the song from French Revolution musical Les Miserables, while also reporting that Kitchee’s Blue Wave Ultras supporters group backed the protest at the match.
Kitchee chairman Kenneth Ng Kin said in an interview with HK01 that he believed supporters had every right to protest at the match, as long as they respected the safety regulations at the stadium.
He also distanced the club from pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu in the interview at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. Ho has become a hate figure for the protest movement.

Ho has been vilified after video was shared of him shaking hands with men in white clothes and thanking them for Sunday night. It is not clear what he is thanking them for.
The rural lawmaker has since defended the white-clad mob for “defending their home”.
Protests on the streets and in the stadium dominated the agenda ahead of Wednesday night’s game.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola dismissed fears over his players’ safety but he said it affected him on a personal level. “[The protests] affect me like a human being because I don’t like to watch it,” the Spaniard said.
Guardiola has long supported the campaign for Catalan independence, wearing the yellow ribbon that expresses support for Catalan political prisoners.
The Hong Kong game is the English Premier League champions’ penultimate preseason friendly before they face Liverpool in the FA Community Shield on August 4. They leave Hong Kong for Japan for their final leg of their tour where they play Yokohama Marinos on Saturday.


Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong loses appeal against 2019 Legco storming conviction

Ex-Hong Kong lawmaker cleared of obstructing rivals in chaotic 2019 Legco meeting

Hong Kong lawmaker denies exaggerating rival’s role in chaotic meeting

Hong Kong court jails social worker for over 3½ years in retrial on rioting

Hong Kong extradition bill

Football fans call for ‘Free Hong Kong’ in anti-government protest at Manchester City v Kitchee game

A fan hands out leaflets with lyrics for a planned demonstration at Hong Kong Stadium during the match between Manchester City and Kitchee. Photo:  K.Y. Cheng

A protester with the lyrics to Do You Hear The People Sing ahead of the match between Manchester City and Kitchee at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: SCMP

Protester poster.

Protester.

Sport

Football

Hong Kong

‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ is drowned out by fans but a large number join the chant at Hong Kong Stadium
Increased police presence at ground as English champions take on Hong Kong side Kitchee in friendly


‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ is drowned out by fans but a large number join the chant at Hong Kong Stadium
