The pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong has spread to North American professional basketball.
The recent pro democracy tweet from an NBA manager a seeming counter tweet from a star player, and a word from the National Basketball League itself distancing itself from the affair has done nothing to calm the dispute between China, the NBA, and pro- Hong Kong democracy basketball fans. China has blocked out broadcasts of NBA games over the affair.
Last night at the season opener in Toronto, which was also a celebration night for the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, the Torontonian HongKongers Action Group handed out thousands of free T-shirts to fans heading in to the game.
Thanks to a “GoFundMe” campaign the pro-democracy group handed out about 7,000 of the T-shirts (THKAG_CAN twitter)
The group had started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $28,000 to buy and print the shirts but the fund greatly surpassed the target at $34,000.
Also present at the Raptors opening game were advocates for China to leave Tibet. (supplied)
In Hong Kong, violent protests continue as police and protestors clash with tear gas, street fires many shops damaged over the weekend Meanwhile, China has denied rumours that Beijing is now considering replacing Hong Kong’s appointed Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
Additional information-sources
- South China Morning Post (via YouTube): Oct 15/19: NBA tweets, counter tweets, protests
- CityNews (via YouTube): Oct 22/19: news report on pro Hong Kong T-shirt handout at opening match
- Global News: J. Mauracher: Oct 22/19: Pro-Hong Kong protesters hand out t-shirts.
- BlogTO: T. Mok: Oct 22/19: Stand with Hong Kong protest at Raptors game gets international attention
- CBC: A.Andric: Oct 18/19: Group to give away T-shirts supporting Hong Kong
- Thomson-Reuters (via CBC): Oct 20/19: Hundreds of shops trashed in Hong Kong protests
- South China Morning Post: L. Chen: Oct 23/19: China denies rumours of replacing Lam
- Financial Times: Oct 23.19: Beijing draws up plan to replace Lam
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