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Editorial | It is time for the ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ saga to come to an end

  • The government’s obtaining of a court injunction banning illegal dissemination of the protest song is a drastic course. Time will tell whether it is effective

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Protesters at a shopping mall in 2019 singing the protest song ‘Glory to Hong Kong’. Photo: AFP

The prevalence of the protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” on digital platforms has long been a thorn in the government’s side. It has often been misrepresented as the city’s anthem and even mistakenly played at international sporting events.

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The song emerged during civil unrest in 2019 and was used as a rallying cry for protesters, described by its unidentified composer as a “weapon”.

Clearly, there is a need for misunderstandings about the song to be cleared up and for anyone using it for criminal purposes to be aware that serious legal consequences can follow.

But the government’s obtaining of a sweeping court injunction banning illegal dissemination of “Glory to Hong Kong” is an exceptional course.

A Court of First Instance judge refused to grant the injunction in July. He said it was unlikely to achieve its objective and overlapped with criminal laws. He was right to proceed cautiously.

But the Court of Appeal overturned that decision this week, granting the injunction. The judges found the ban, a civil remedy, to be necessary in order to help the criminal legal system safeguard national security.

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