High school students in Hong Kong have attempted to drown out the Chinese national anthem played during their school assembly by singing ‘Do you hear the people sing’ from the musical Les Miserables instead.
In a video posted on social media, students can be heard singing the lyrics to the iconic song while the Chinese national anthem plays overhead.
Rows of teachers can be seen standing on the stage in silence during the ceremony to mark the start of the new school year.
The song about Parisians rebelling against their venal rulers has become a protest anthem in Hong Kong with thousands of demonstrators singing the tune when they seized control of Hong Kong’s airport in August.
The song was also popular with protesters during the 2014 Umbrella pro-democracy protests.
Despite the school holiday season ending this week, it appears students have defied the Hong Kong government’s wishes that once they returned to school the city’s summer of dissent would come to an end.
Pro-democracy protesters first took to the streets in June in frustration over an extradition bill that if passed would have allowed authorities to detain and extradite individuals wanted by the mainland.
Crowds have continued to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations over the weeks, although in recent times have escalated with violent clashes between police and protesters.
