The NBA had faced backlash this past week for its response to Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting free speech and pro-democratic efforts in Hong Kong. On Tuesday, two Philadelphia 76ers experienced the fallout of that saga.

Sixers fan Sam Wachs and his wife were ejected from Philadelphia’s preseason game against the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Long-Lions at Wells Fargo Center. The fans were seen holding “Free Hong Kong” and “Free HK” signs, voicing support for the human rights protests in Hong Kong.

According to Wachs, the signs were confiscated in the second quarter and they were escorted out of the arena. He filmed video of the interaction with arena staffers.

The moment Sam Wachs and his wife are escorted out of the @sixers preseason game against a Chinese basketball team for yelling “Free Hong Kong.” @6abc pic.twitter.com/3HlZxKXDzs — Christie Ileto (@Christie_Ileto) October 9, 2019

these are the signs that led to two fans being kicked out of Tuesday’s 76ers vs. Guangzhou Loong Lions game *in Philadelphia* pic.twitter.com/xzQxhNyqIy — David Paulk 波大卫 (@davidpaulk) October 9, 2019

The NBA Fan Code of Conduct only prohibits fans from bringing signs with “obscene or indecent messages.” And obviously, “Free Hong Kong” is neither obscene nor indecent.

The 76ers said in a statement to For The Win that Wells Fargo Center event staff made the decision to remove the fans after complaints from guests:

The Wells Fargo Center’s event staff is responsible for the security and comfort of all guests at arena events, including 76ers games. At last evening’s game, following multiple complaints from guests and verbal confrontations with others in attendance, two individuals were warned by Wells Fargo Center staff about their continuing disruption of the fan experience. Ultimately, the decision was made by Wells Fargo Center personnel to remove the guests from the premises, which was accomplished without incident.

Morey’s now-deleted tweet in support of Hong Kong struck a nerve in China, leading to the Houston Rockets’ removal from Chinese broadcasts. The preseason matchups in China between the Lakers and Nets were also removed from broadcaster CCTV’s schedule.