There is an emerging trend going on during sporting events in Canada, in which the United States national anthem is being booed by fans. This first happened during a NHL’s game as the Canucks hosted the Detroit Red Wings, and then again during an NBA game in Toronto.
The Raptors fans proved their disapproval for the American anthem, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened of import tariffs last week. It all started when a 15-year-old singer took the stage to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but was difficult to be heard with so much noise coming out of the stands.
After the game, Toronto forward Chris Boucher, who is a Canadian citizen, was asked if he had ever experienced something like that before. “No, no, no,” he told the press. “But have you ever seen us getting taxed like that?”
Toronto fans boo the American anthem at the raptors game! 😂🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/ovexzwo7Q0
— RTN (@RTNCanada) February 2, 2025
This was all a result of Trump announcing an economic emergency on Saturday, declaring the need to place taxes of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico, plus a 10% on imports from China. The United States imports energy, oil, natural gas and electricity at a 10% rate from their northern neighbours.
Despite this political dissonance, not every Raptors fans believe that booing is “the right thing to do in this situation.” This is why Toronto resident Joseph Chua player simply decided to stay seated during the U.S. anthem and not cave into disrespecting their neighbours.
“I 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, ‘Canada,’ would be a more appropriate stance,” he said. “Usually I will stand. I’ve always stood during both anthems. I’ve taken my hat off to show respect to the American national anthem, but today we’re feeling a little bitter about things.”
However, Chua now knows where his money will go when shopping around. “We were already talking about what businesses are Canadian, specifically, what are American, specifically, what to avoid,” he explained. “When I go grocery shopping, I will definitely be trying to avoid American products and groceries.”
Booing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” is certainly a rare occurrence in Canada, even though it has happened during world events, especially if both countries are facing each other. The last time Canadians showed their disapproval during the U.S. anthem, was back in the early 2000s when the Americans started the war with Iraq.
