Vancouver Whitecaps fans latest to boo U.S. national anthem

BC Place in Vancouver hosted the Whitecaps V L.A. Galaxy game on Sunday.

VANCOUVER — The trend of Canadian sports fans jeering the United States' national anthem has bled from hockey over to soccer.

Fans in Vancouver booed as the “The Star-Spangled Banner” was sung before a game between the Whitecaps and L.A. Galaxy on Sunday.

Similar vocal protests were staged at hockey games across Canada last month — including 4 Nations Face-Off games in Montreal — following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of planned tariffs against the country and musings about Canada becoming the 51st state.

Canada and the U.S. agreed to a month-long pause on the tariffs on Feb. 3, but Trump has said they will go into effect next week.

Ahead of the anthems on Sunday, the in-house announcer at B.C. Place reminded fans that both teams include players from a vast array of countries, and he encouraged everyone in attendance to be respectful of the vocalists.

But the boos began as soon as Elizabeth Irving, Marie Hui, Emma Currie and Arielle Tuliao joined together in the first notes of the U.S. national anthem. The jeers died down midway through the song and cheers erupted as the four singers began “O Canada.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press