HONG KONG: Overturning an earlier ruling and increasing concerns about the erosion of freedoms in the global financial hub, this week, an appeals court granted the Hong Kong government’s request to ban the popular protest song, “Glory to Hong Kong.”
Demonstrators often sang the song during huge anti-government protests in 2019. It has also been mistakenly played as the city’s anthem at international sporting events instead of China’s anthem, “March of the Volunteers.”
Critics have said that banning the song further reduces freedom of expression since Beijing launched a crackdown in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests. They warn that the ban might disrupt the operation of tech giants and hurt the city’s stature as a business center.
Judge Jeremy Poon wrote that the composer intended for the song to be a “weapon,” pointing to its power to arouse 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,” Poon said.
Anyone who broadcasts or distributes the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China will be covered by the ban, which will also prohibit any actions that misrepresent the song as the national anthem.
Those not complying with the court order may be considered in contempt of court and could be fined or imprisoned.
The song can still be played if it is for lawful journalistic and academic activities.
Local media reported that some Hong Kong residents who played the song in public have been arrested for other offenses, such as playing a musical instrument publicly without a permit.
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 to quell unrest, which has been used to arrest many of the city’s leading pro-democracy activists.
