Hong Kong protest anthem’s online presence fades as govt seeks total ban

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Various versions of the pro-democracy anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” were released on Wednesday after the government sought an injunction to stop the song’s outright ban. No longer available at Gram’s Reels.

Reuters searched Apple’s iTunes Store for the Chinese title of the song, and Facebook and Instagram’s Reels for the English title of the song, revealing a Taiwanese version of the song by Taiwanese rock band The Chairman. only was displayed.

The song was an unofficial anthem to the sometimes violent street protests for democracy in Hong Kong in 2019.

Various versions of the song released on Spotify by the creators “ThomasDGX & HonKongers” are no longer available.

The injunction comes after “Glory to Hong Kong” was mistakenly played at several international events, including rugby sevens matches and ice hockey tournaments.

The song was banned from schools in 2020 after China imposed national security laws on financial hubs to crack down on dissent.

City leader John Lee said at a regular government press conference on Tuesday that the song was “incompatible with the national interest.”

“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has obligations and obligations to safeguard national security and should do so proactively and proactively,” Lee said.

“Songs are not a threat to national security, and national security should not be used as an excuse to deny people the right to express different political views,” said Sarah Brooks, head of Amnesty International’s China team, in a statement. said.

Hong Kong returned from British rule to Chinese rule in 1997, guaranteeing freedoms, including freedom of speech, to be protected under the “one country, two systems” formula. Critics of the national security law say these freedoms are being eroded rapidly.

According to a warrant obtained by Reuters, the government is seeking a ban on the performance and dissemination of the song, including its melody, lyrics and adaptations, including online.

The warrant also lists 32 YouTube videos related to the song, including instrumental and sign language versions. The application for the preliminary injunction will be heard in the High Court on July 21.

The government asked those opposing the injunction to contact the police by June 21 and provide their name, address, phone number and ID number.

“Glory to Hong Kong” swept the top 10 on Apple’s Hong Kong iTunes Store chart, including various versions, after the government announced plans to ban the song.

Apple, Spotify, Google and Thomas DGX & Hong Kongers did not respond to requests for comment.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, declined to comment.

Hong Kong does not have its own national anthem. “Glory to Hong Kong” was mistakenly played instead of the Chinese national anthem “March of the Volunteers”. The Asian Rugby Union said the error was due to “simple human error”.

Hong Kong’s security chief said in December that Google had refused to change its search results to show the Chinese national anthem instead of “Glory to Hong Kong” when users searched for the anthem, saying the decision was “a big deal.” regret”.

Reported by Jessie Pang. Additional report by Josh Ye.Editing: Nick McPhee

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.