The territory’s justice minister has called for the anthem to be removed from the internet in the wake of the ruling
Hong Kong has demanded a protest song that was made popular during pro-democracy demonstrations in the territory be removed from the internet, in the wake of a court ruling which banned it.
In its judgment on Wednesday, the court of appeal described the song Glory to Hong Kong as a “weapon” to incite violent protests in 2019.
The ruling comes amid what critics say is an erosion in Hong Kong’s rule of law and individual rights which has seen scores of opposition democrats jailed and liberal media outlets shut down.
The Hong Kong government’s first attempt to get an official injunction for the anthem was refused by the high court last year in a surprise ruling, which said a ban could have a “chilling effect” on innocent third parties.
But in overturning that decision, appeal judge Jeremy Poon wrote on Wednesday that the composer of the song had “intended it to be a ‘weapon’ and so it had become”.
“It had been used as an impetus to propel the violent protests plaguing Hong Kong since 2019. It is powerful in arousing emotions among certain fractions of the society,” he said.
The song can no longer be broadcast or performed “with criminal intent”, or disseminated or reproduced on internet-based platforms, although the injunction contained exceptions for “academic activity and news activity” – a tweak the government made after earlier questioning by judges.
