Hundreds of activists attended an NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets wearing pro-Hong Kong shirts.
Film producer Andrew Duncan purchased 300 tickets to the Friday night game at New York City’s Barclays Center. Duncan provided the tickets to hundreds of activists willing to attend the game while wearing shirts that read, “Stand With Hong Kong.”
The protesters also wore black masks that resembled the masks that activists in Hong Kong wear during protests to protect themselves from tear gas used by police.
Hong Kong politician and activist Nathan Law also attended the game. Law, 26, is a prominent pro-democracy advocate who was arrested and imprisoned for two months in 2017 by Chinese law enforcement for unlawful assembly. He was released on bail.
2. Hong Kong politician and activist Nathan Law at the Nets Vs Raptors game wearing the “Stand With Hong Kong” t-shirt pic.twitter.com/k7QTe6lmMi
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) October 19, 2019
A couple of the protesters were seen in Winnie-the-Pooh outfits as well. Chinese censors have blocked the name and likeness of Winnie-the-Pooh on social media to prevent Chinese bloggers from comparing President Xi Jinping to the plump cartoon bear.
5. More photos from the pro-democracy protest at the Nets game pic.twitter.com/uzkF9TbVvG
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) October 19, 2019
The NBA has struggled to handle the backlash from Americans and Hong Kong allies after the league botched its handling of a pro-Hong Kong tweet by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey that offended China’s communist government. Morey’s tweet caused backlash against the NBA in China, and the NBA responded by distancing itself from Morey’s pro-democracy tweet.
“While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them,” NBA Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass said in a statement.
