Protester Waves American Flag, Sings 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at Rainy Police Station Demonstration
A protester waved the US flag and sang ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ during a rainy demonstration outside Kwai Chung Police Station in Hong Kong on Tuesday, July 30.
This footage shows the protester – described by another demonstrator at the event as wearing a MAGA cap – holding the flag and singing in the rain.
Kwai Chung Police Station was one of several stations surrounded on Tuesday by demonstrators, who clashed with officers equipped with pepper spray and beanbag rounds, the South China Morning Post reported.
The demonstrators were calling for the release of fellow protesters detained following an earlier protest on Sunday, July 28.
Flags of other nations – notably the Union Jack, representing Hong Kong’s colonial British administration – have previously made appearances during the city’s protests, often as nebulous symbols of “certain values embodied by the colonial government: personal freedoms, rule of law, [and] clear governance,” according to an editorial by Hong Kong Free Press.
The American flag, less seen than the Union Jack, may have been adopted by some protesters as a symbol of democracy and a sign that overseas support from democratic governments would be appreciated, Asia Times reported.
Recently, American Republican politicians including Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have expressed support for Hong Kong’s demonstrations, attracting thanks from the likes of Joshua Wong, the Secretary General of the city’s Demosisto party. Credit: SocREC via Storyful
