A Hong Kong court will hand down a closely-watched decision over whether to ban the broadcast and distribution of “Glory to Hong Kong,” a protest song after the government asked it to do so in the name of national security. The song was written during the 2019 anti-government protests and its lyrics call for democracy and liberty. But it has been mistakenly played at several international sporting events instead of China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers.” The decision is expected next Friday. Critics worry a ban will further shrink the city’s freedom of expression, which has become increasingly threadbare under Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement — and pose challenges to the operations of tech giants. Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and was promised it could keep its Western-style civil liberties intact for 50 years after the handover. But the openness and freedoms that were once hallmarks of the city have been eroding following the enactment of a Beijing-imposed national security law and other political changes. Last month, the government sought an injunction to target anyone who uses the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China. It also wanted to prohibit actions that use the song to incite others to commit secession and to insult the national anthem, including such acts carried out online. During a hearing Friday, Judge Anthony Chan heard arguments surrounding the potential ban, including the utility of the order, before reserving his judgement until next week.
Benjamin Yu, a lawyer who represented the government, highlighted the national security risks the song could trigger and suggested an order in favour of the government would make a material difference. He pointed to the effectiveness of the injunction orders handed down to prevent protesters to disrupt the operations of the airport and railway network at the height of the 2019 movement.
