This photograph taken on October 1, 2020 reveals a person taking part in “Glory to Hong Kong” on a flute in the course of the China’s Nationwide Day in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s enchantment court docket on Might 8, 2024 banned “Glory to Hong Kong”, a protest tune that emerged in the course of the metropolis’s large democracy demonstrations in 2019. Agence France-Presse
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s enchantment court docket on Wednesday banned “Glory to Hong Kong,” a protest tune that emerged in the course of the metropolis’s large democracy demonstrations in 2019.
Penned anonymously, its lyrics embody the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our occasions”, and the tune has been all however unlawful to sing or play it since authorities crushed the protests and Beijing imposed a nationwide safety regulation quelling dissent in 2020.
Wednesday’s determination by the Courtroom of Attraction would make “Glory to Hong Kong” the primary tune to be banned within the former British colony because it was handed over to China in 1997.
READ: Hong Kong protest anthem’s on-line presence fades as govt seeks whole ban
“(We) are glad that an injunction ought to be granted,” enchantment decide Jeremy Poon wrote in a call, granting an order that will cease a variety of acts together with broadcasting and performing the tune.
Officers final June had requested an injunction to ban “Glory to Hong Kong” however have been refused by the Excessive Courtroom in a shock ruling, which mentioned a ban may have a “chilling impact” on harmless third events.
The court docket additionally mentioned then that the injunction didn’t have “any actual utility”, which judges within the Courtroom of Attraction disagreed with on Wednesday.
“The composer of the tune has meant it to be a ‘weapon’ and so it had turn into,” wrote Poon.
Civil injunction is required as “legal regulation alone wouldn’t obtain the general public curiosity objective of safeguarding nationwide safety”.
The injunction contained exceptions for “tutorial exercise and information exercise”, a tweak the federal government made after earlier questioning by judges.
READ: Hong Kong protest marks anniversary of violent police conflict
Representing the federal government throughout an enchantment listening to in December, lawyer Benjamin Yu had argued the tune was akin to “misinformation and propaganda”.
He mentioned the tune was nonetheless “prevalent” and “stays extremely efficient in arousing feelings of the general public”.
A key subject raised by judges in the course of the December listening to was on how the federal government’s proposed order would have an effect on web service suppliers — mirroring considerations raised internationally in regards to the free circulation of knowledge in Hong Kong.
Officers had demanded web giants corresponding to Google take away the protest tune from their search outcomes and video platforms, however have been largely rebuffed.
Hong Kong’s know-how minister had mentioned the injunction was partly meant to persuade Google to delist “Glory to Hong Kong” from web search outcomes.
Google had mentioned in March 2023 they acquired a request from authorities to take away two YouTube movies in regards to the tune being mistakenly performed as Hong Kong’s anthem in a sports activities competitors.
The police mentioned the content material was a deliberate insult to the nationwide anthem however Google didn’t take away the movies.
Hong Kong doesn’t have its personal anthem, and makes use of China’s “March of the Volunteers”.
Below Beijing’s “one nation, two methods” doctrine, Hong Kong is ruled below its personal judicial system separate from mainland courts.
Your subscription couldn’t be saved. Please attempt once more.
Your subscription has been profitable.
After the protests have been quashed and Beijing’s nationwide safety regulation enacted, public dissent has largely been absent, and the majority of pro-democracy activists and opposition politicians have both been arrested, silenced, or fled Hong Kong.
