Participants in Hong Kong's Standard Chartered marathon on Sunday were ordered by police to cover up or change clothing bearing the slogan "Hong Kong, Add Oil!" after it was deemed too political, local media reported Monday.

The Chinese-character slogan was widely popularized as a pro-democracy slogan during the 2019 anti-government mass protests that left Hong Kong in political and social turmoil.

Some runners who showed up wearing clothing with the slogan on were told by law enforcement officers that they would not be able to participate unless they covered it up or changed, according to the media reports.

One runner, who had a tattoo bearing the words "Hong Kong, Add Oil!" on his leg, told local media that he was able to participate by covering it with an adhesive bandage.

Earlier this week, organizers of the marathon had warned participants that those who showed up to the race bearing political slogans could risk being banned.

The organizers also condemned those who used the race as a channel to promote political messages and warned that they had "zero tolerance" for violators.

Police had said they would deploy counter-terrorism units along the race route and cautioned runners against breaking the law, warning that they would take further legal action if necessary.

Sunday's marathon, which saw a turnout of about 16,000 people, marked the first mass participation sports events to be held since the implementation of the Beijing-imposed national security law in the city in June last year.

Last year's Standard Chartered marathon was canceled due to public health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.

==Kyodo

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