Ugly scenes have erupted at a World Cup basketball qualifier between Australia and China after a Chinese “nationalist” spectator decided to get personal with a human rights protestor.
Seven protestors—including student activist Drew Pavlou—waved the Tibetan flag, held signs, and shouted “Free Hong Kong” and “Hong Kong independence” during the game at John Cain Arena in Melbourne.
The match was a FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier headlined by Australian NBA star Matthew Dellavedova.
Footage from Pavlou’s Twitter account shows one Hong Kong democracy activist, Max Mok, yelling and holding a poster before he is shoved by a Chinese man.
Mok, who was calling for independence for East Turkestan, also known in China as Xinjiang, was also holding a poster calling for the release of Mirzat Taher, an Uyghur political dissident held in prison in China.
Security stepped in, removing Pavlou, Mok, and the other protestors from the game.
Pavlou has been a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party and has held protests at numerous events linked to Beijing.
“You’re a disgrace,” a protester shouted while accusing the Chinese authorities of genocide against the Uyghur community in the Xinjiang region. “What about freedom of expression.”
Outside the venue, Pavlou said the Chinese ambassador and university organisers kept tight control over the event and would not allow open dialogue.
“We wouldn’t have been allowed to speak to the Chinese ambassador,” Pavlou previously told The Epoch Times. “He was only accepting the pre-approved questions by people who were only going to politely challenge him in the lightest possible terms.”
In November 2021, Shuai made headlines after accusing Beijing’s former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. She later retracted the statement but only after she “disappeared” from the media spotlight for several weeks.