Pro-democracy protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong has been reuploaded to streaming platforms KKBox and Spotify, days after the latter told HKFP that it had been removed by the distributor. It came as the government seeks to ban all forms of the song and its derivatives.
Glory to Hong Kong – associated with the 2019 protests and unrest – dominated the Apple iTunes charts this month until it abruptly vanished last week. The government is seeking legal injunctions to ban “unlawful acts” relating to the song, its melody, lyrics and all derivations.
Thomas – from distributor Dgx Music – previously told HKFP that he was unable to explicitly explain the song’s disappearance from platforms. In a Facebook post on Monday, he said that a new, 2023 album of songs – including Glory to Hong Kong and three new tracks – had been reshared on various platforms: “I resolutely oppose any behaviour that attempts to curb freedom of thought and speech… I really understand everyone’s view that they ‘do not want to lose the freedom of choosing music either.’ Despite facing different difficulties, I still want to defend this aspiration.”
“[R]estoring the original album takes times, everyone please wait patiently. Thank you once again for everyone’s support and trust,” Thomas added.
As of Monday, the song had reappeared on Spotify and Taiwanese platform KKBox, but was still missing from Apple Music. Reuters reported last Thursday that versions on Facebook and Instagram had also vanished, though it remains on YouTube, Twitter and Soundcloud.
HKFP has contacted Dgx Music for comment.
Blanket ban
The government has submitted a writ seeking to ban the “broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, disseminating, displaying or reproducing [Glory to Hong Kong],” including on the internet, with a secessionist or seditious intent, or with the intent to violate the national anthem law. Anyone who assists others to commit such acts would also be criminally liable.
The Department of Justice’s legal bid for an injunction and interim injunction came days after a busker, known for performing the song, was cleared of wrongdoing.
On June 12, the Court of First Instance adjourned the injunction hearing until July 21, as the authorities appealed for anyone with an objection to come forward.
Though banned in schools, the government has previously refused to say if the song is illegal. But it claims Glory to Hong Kong is “closely associated with violent protests and the ‘independence’ movement in 2019.” Though the protests attracted some pro-independence activists, that was not one of the movement’s demands.
Anthem mix-ups
The months-long anthem saga began last November, when the protest song was heard at a Rugby Sevens game in South Korea after an intern reportedly downloaded it from the internet.
Similar mix-ups occurred at international sporting finals, including at a prizegiving ceremony of a weightlifting championship in Dubai and most recently at a February ice hockey game in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The row led Hong Kong’s Olympic body to issue guidelines requiring sports teams to boycott events if organisers refuse to help verify whether the correct anthem has been lined up. Athletes must also make a “time out” gesture if the offending song is heard.
A data scientist told HKFP this month that it was too early to tell if a total ban would lead to Google, or other tech firms, withdrawing their services from the city.
In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city.
Hong Kong’s national anthem is China’s March of the Volunteers.
Facebook’s parent company Meta, Google, Apple, Soundcloud and other streaming platforms did not respond to HKFP’s earlier requests for comment. Twitter responded to enquiries with a “poop” emoji.
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