The Hong Kong Department of Justice applied to the Special Administrative Region’sĀ High Court on June 5 for an injunction to prohibit any performance or online dissemination of the song “Glory to Hong Kong,”Ā anthem of the 2019 protest movement. The government asserts that the song contains secessionist lyrics and constitutes an insult to the Chinese national anthem, “March of the Volunteers.” The actionĀ seeks to remove 32 YouTube videos, asserting that they breach multiple laws in Hong Kong and China, including theĀ National Security Law,Ā the Crimes OrdinanceĀ andĀ the National Anthem Ordinance.
However, thousands of Hong Kong citizens responded to the government’s move by gathering in public to singĀ the song, in defiance of an ongoingĀ ban on protests. It also shot to the top of the iTunes charts.Ā On June 12, Judge Wilson ChanĀ postponed deciding on the petition until next month, finding it potentially overbroad andĀ asking the government to be more specific on the breadth of its request. (Jurist, NYT, EuroNews, HKFP, Bloomberg)
Image:Ā Campaign for Hong Kong via Twtter
Hong Kong: prison for insulting Chinese national anthem
Hong Kong’s Eastern MagistrateĀ CourtĀ sentenced photographer Cheng Wing-chun to three months prison on July 20 for violating the National Anthem Ordinance.Ā Cheng purportedly insulted the Chinese national anthem by replacing the anthem with “Glory to Hong Kong”Ā in a video that featured Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung receiving an Olympic gold medal in 2021. (Jurist)
Hong Kong court refuses injunction of protest song
The High Court of Hong Kong refused the Justice DepartmentāsĀ application for an injunction to prohibit performance of the song “Glory to Hong Kong”Ā on July 28. Ā Judge Anthony Chan heldĀ that an injunction against the song was not needed since Hong Kong already has “a robust criminal regime”Ā in place. Chan also stated that an injunction would undermine freedom of speech. (Jurist)