Hong Kong protest song disappears from streaming sites

HONG KONG –

A popular protest song from Hong Kong was unavailable on several major music streaming sites and social media platforms on Wednesday, after the government filed for a court order to ban the tune.

“Glory to Hong Kong” gained popularity during the 2019 pro-democracy protests and became an unofficial protest song. In 2020, the government banned the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” due to separatist and subversive connotations, and the song was widely regarded as banned in the city, as the lyrics contained parts of the slogan.

Hong Kong, once a bastion of freedom of speech and expression, has come under closer scrutiny by Beijing following the 2019 unrest. Since then, the political system has undergone a major overhaul to ensure that only “patriots” loyal to Beijing can hold office. More than 250 people have been arrested under a sweeping national security law passed in 2020 that critics say is designed to suppress dissent.

The song rose to the top of the Apple iTunes charts last week after the Hong Kong government sought a court order to ban “unlawful acts” related to the song and all derivatives, including the lyrics and melody.

But the song was no longer available on music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music on Wednesday. The original version of the tune was also unavailable on Facebook and Instagram’s Reels feature.

Spotify said in an emailed statement that the song was pulled by the distributor, not the platform. Facebook, Instagram and Apple Music did not immediately comment.

The song’s creator, DGX Music, said in a post on their Facebook page that it was “facing some technical issues related to streaming platforms” and apologized for the “temporary” issue.

Versions of the song, including those by the original creators, were still available on the video streaming site YouTube.

The Hong Kong government has sought a court order to ban the song after it was mistakenly played as the city’s national anthem at several international sporting events over the past year, instead of the Chinese national anthem “March of the Volunteers”.

The hearings in the case have been postponed to July 21.

Speaking at a regular news briefing on Tuesday, Hong Kong leader John Lee said the song was “not compatible with the national interest” and that the city should “proactively and also preventatively” ensure national security.

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