Protest song now banned
An appeals court on Wednesday granted the Hong Kong government’s request to ban a popular protest song, overturning an earlier ruling and deepening concerns over the erosion of freedoms in the once-freewheeling global financial hub.
“Glory to Hong Kong” was often sung by demonstrators during huge anti-government protests in 2019. The song was later mistakenly played as the city’s anthem at international sporting events, instead of China’s “March of the Volunteers,” in mix-ups that upset city officials.
It was the first time a song has been banned in the city since Britain handed the territory back to Chinese rule in 1997.
Critics have said prohibiting broadcast or distribution of the song further reduces freedom of expression since Beijing launched a crackdown in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests. Judge Jeremy Poon wrote that the composer intended for the song to be a “weapon,” pointing to its power in arousing emotions among some residents of the city.
“We accept the assessment of the executive that prosecutions alone are clearly not adequate to tackle the acute criminal problems and that there is a compelling need for an injunction,” he said.
He said the injunction was necessary to persuade internet platform operators to remove “problematic videos in connection with the song” from their platforms.
The ban would target anyone who broadcast or distributed the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China. It would also prohibit any actions that misrepresent the song as the national anthem with the intent to insult the anthem. The song can still be played if it is for lawful journalistic and academic activities.
Authorities have previously arrested some residents who played the song in public under other offences, such as playing a musical instrument in public without a permit, local media reported.
As of mid-afternoon on Friday, “Glory to Hong Kong,” whose artist is credited as “Thomas and the Hong Kong people,” was still available on Spotify and Apple Music in both English and Cantonese. A search on YouTube for the song also displayed multiple videos and renditions.
Google said in an email to the AP that it was “reviewing the court’s judgment.” Spotify and Apple did not immediately comment.