Protest song 'Glory to Hong Kong' now banned in city after appeals...

Source: Daily Mail Online

HONG KONG (AP) - An appeals court 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 the 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.

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. They have also warned the ban might disrupt the operation of tech giants and hurt the city´s appeal as a business center.

The government went to the court last year after Google resisted pressure to display China´s national anthem as the top result in searches for the city´s anthem instead of the protest song. But a lower court rejected its initial bid last July and the development was widely seen as a setback for officials who are seeking to crush dissidents following the protests.

The government's appeal argued that if the executive authority considered a measure necessary, the court should allow it, unless it considered it will have no effect, according to a legal document on the government´s website.

The government had already asked schools to ban the protest song on campuses. It previously said it respected freedoms protected by the city´s constitution, "but freedom of speech is not absolute."

FILE - Local residents sing a theme song written by protesters "Glory to Hong Kong" at a shopping mall in Hong Kong on Sept. 11, 2019. An appeals court Wednesday, May 8, 2024 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. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)