Calling basketball fans 'kneelers' goes too far

WITH THE US NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION embroiled in controversy over its support for the protests in Hong Kong, those who did attend the NBA's activities in Shanghai and Shenzhen have been given the nickname "kneelers" on social media. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

When The Wall Street Journal published a photo of two Chinese fans at one of the events on its cover, some domestic micro bloggers posted a photo of the page and called for people to find "the two traitors".

This is too extreme. The two basketball fans have done nothing but watched a basketball game; How have they become "traitors"?