A group of local pro-Hong Kong protesters had their signs confiscated at the Wizards pre-season game against the Guangzhou Loong-Lions on Wednesday night, causing a stir on social media amid a larger controversy surrounding the league’s relationship with China.

The protests follow an incident in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, when a 76ers fan and his wife were kicked out of the stadium for carrying two small signs in support of Hong Kong.

Outside the Capital One Arena arena, a group called the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation sold T-shirts that read “Free Hong Kong” and held signs criticizing the NBA, per the Washington Post. But it was five men unaffiliated with the group that ended up causing a stir inside, when they stood up during the Chinese National Anthem and held up a “Free Hong Kong” banner.

“We are all huge NBA fans, and we really find this issue concerning,” Jon Schweppe, one of the protesters who posted the videos to Twitter, tells DCist. “The American ideals of freedom and liberty are really important, and corporations shouldn’t be selling them out to do business with an oppressive regime like the Chinese government.”

In the footage,  a Capital One Arena employee can be seen asking for the men’s sign: “We understand, we respect your freedom of speech, we are just personally not having, we don’t have any stance on it, and so we’re just asking no signage related to that being in here tonight,” he says. He also says that the banner violates the arena’s regulations regarding the signage size and confiscates the sign.

https://twitter.com/JonSchweppe/status/1182070459355009027

The same group of men later held up another sign that read “Google Uyghurs,” referencing an ethnic minority in China that the government has been accused of oppressing and mistreating, including by placing them in internment camps. In that video, another employee affiliated with the arena comes up to the men and says, “Fellas, no political signs of any nature tonight, all right?” That sign was also confiscated. Capital One Arena has a policy against signs that are political in nature.

https://twitter.com/JonSchweppe/status/1182076217123586048

Schweppe, a Virginia resident who works for the conservative American Principles Project, said that he and his friends opted to leave the game after their second sign was confiscated. Schweppe says the group wanted to highlight the hypocrisy of the NBA, which has been outspoken about domestic policy issues but, per Schweppe, “when it comes to one of their biggest business partners [China], they’re not willing to even suggest a little criticism.”

The NBA has taken heat for its response after the Houston Rockets General Manager, Daryl Morey, tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters last week. “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” read the now-deleted tweet. The backlash was swift from Chinese fans and business partners, who said they would cut off their relationships with the NBA. Meanwhile, American fans and politicians have criticized the NBA’s tepid defense of Morey’s tweet and seeming attempt to appease the Chinese (the Rockets’ James Harden even apologized to China in an interview with the press).

DCist has reached out to Capital One Arena for comment on the confiscations. The arena told NBC News that no fans were asked to leave and security staff confiscated signs in accordance with normal policies against political signs. Fans were allowed to wear the “Free Hong Kong” T-shirts bought outside.