TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Fans at a game continued an emerging trend Sunday of booing the American national anthem at pro sporting events in Canada.
Fans of the NBA's lone Canadian franchise booed the anthem after similar reactions broke out Saturday night at in Ottawa, Ontario, and Calgary, Alberta, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump made his threat of on America's northern neighbor .
After initially cheering for the 15-year-old female singer, fans booed throughout 鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner鈥� performance. At the end, mixed boos and cheers could be heard before the crowd erupted in applause for the Canadian anthem, 鈥淥 Canada.鈥�
Raptors forward Chris Boucher, a Canadian citizen, was asked after over the Los Angeles Clippers whether he'd ever experienced something like that.
鈥淣o, no, no," he said. "But have you ever seen us getting taxed like that?鈥�
Trump declared an economic emergency Saturday in order to place taxes of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at a 10% rate.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico鈥檚 president on goods from America in response.
Joseph Chua, a Toronto resident who was at the game, said he鈥檚 going to be feeling the tariffs 鈥減retty directly鈥� in his work as an importer.
Still, he said he doesn鈥檛 think booing is 鈥渢he right thing to do in this situation.鈥� He chose to stay seated instead.
鈥淚 have a bunch of American family, friends that live in the states that are Americans, we travel to America all the time, but I thought chanting, 鈥楥anada,鈥� would be a more appropriate stance,鈥� said Chua, who was deliberately wearing his red Canada Basketball cap. 鈥淯sually I will stand. I鈥檝e always stood during both anthems. I鈥檝e taken my hat off to show respect to the American national anthem, but today we鈥檙e feeling a little bitter about things.
鈥淲e were already talking about what businesses are Canadian, specifically, what are American, specifically, what to avoid. When I go grocery shopping, I will definitely be trying to avoid American products and groceries.鈥�
U.S. national anthem boos in Canada are rare, but not unheard of especially when tied to world events. In the early 2000s, fans at games in Canada booed to show their disapproval of the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who won an NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019, and coach Tyronn Lue declined to comment on the booing.
Lue, however, sang along to 鈥淥 Canada." He said he just likes the song.
鈥淚 heard it a lot of times being in the playoffs here, so I know it by heart," he said.
The NHL's Canucks will host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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AP Sports:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
