Expressions of grief and protest in front of the British consulate in Hong Kong
Photo: Vincent Yu/ dpa
In the former British crown colony of Hong Kong, the funeral ceremonies for the death of Queen Elizabeth II led to an arrest: A harmonica player had started a pro-democracy protest song in front of the British Consulate General - and was arrested.
Hundreds had gathered outside the building over the past week to commemorate the late monarch, who visited Hong Kong in 1975 and 1986.
At Monday night's state funeral, a 43-year-old man played the British national anthem and the song "Glory to Hong Kong" on his harmonica - a song that was hugely popular during the pro-democracy protests and riots of 2019.
The bystanders applauded the lecture, joined in the song and filmed the moment with their cellphones.
Local reporters photographed the harmonica player when he was questioned by the police and taken away shortly afterwards.
He now has to answer for "seditious activities", as the "Guardian" and the "Wall Street Journal" report.
In the song "Glory to Hong Kong" there is the line "liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our time".
Such calls are a thorn in the side of the Chinese leadership in the special administrative region.
After the protests in 2019, the authorities are apparently on the alert.
The law on state-destroying activities dates back to colonial times and has not been applied for many years.
That changed after the pro-democracy protests.
Hong Kong was a British Crown Colony for more than 150 years and was officially returned to China in 1997.
Since the Queen's death, more than 13,000 people have signed the British Consulate's book of condolences - the grief aroused great nostalgia and longing for the old days.
Playing Glory to Hong Kong has led to arrests in the past: in 2022, an elderly man was taken away after playing the song on his erhu, a Chinese stringed instrument, at a bus station.
Street musician Oliver Ma has been prosecuted three times - he was arrested in 2020 and 2021 after singing the English version of the protest song in Hong Kong.
ala