A video of Chinese nationalists chanting in English at a rally in Canada has exploded on Facebook.

"Free China!"

The video, put up on Aug. 19, showed Chinese nationalists holding up flags of China, while confronting pro-Hong Kong demonstrators, and shouting "Free China!" repeatedly.

Canadian police are seen forming a line that divided the two camps.

However, the most perplexing part of the video was that the Chinese nationalists were shouting "Free China!" in response to the pro-Hong Kong side.

Elicited laughter

In response, both the Canadian police and the Hong Kong protesters can be seen laughing and smiling at the scene.

The video, shared more than 12,000 times and watched almost a million times, appears to have been filmed from the side of the Hong Kong protesters.

The video's caption said:

"Embarrassing terminal stage of cancer... Remember when turning on the mic to listen: A group of Chinese people in China are shouting FREE CHINA ...

The opposing Hong Kong protesters are laughing and the police on the scene can't resist snickering as well."

Chinese nationalists "applauded"

Commenters online were highly amused by the video.

Translation:

"CCP needs to give special training to these talented people! Auntie Har, give extra lunch boxes to those people holding the Chinese national flag, see they make the police really happy!"

For the uninitiated, and if it helps, Auntie Har refers to the manager of background actors in a Stephen Chow movie, who receive lunch boxes for their work.

Translation:

"Wow! How come there are so many civic movement activists?!"

Others "applauded" the Chinese nationalists.

Translation:

"Dearie, so brave! Free China"

Translation:

"Finally woke up"

One comment also called for investigations to be conducted into the background of the Chinese nationalists who participated in the protest.

Might have wanted to shout "Liberate China!" instead

There are also explanations as to why the Chinese nationalists inadvertently shouted "Free China".

One reason could be because they were just mimicking the words of the opposing side who were shouting "Free Hong Kong".

Taiwan News explained that the intention might have been to shout "Liberate China!" instead.

This is because the term "liberate" in Marxist lexicon refers to the "liberation" of the proletariat from the bourgeoisie capitalists.

Top image screenshot from Littleoslo Facebook