The popular Hong Kong protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” has disappeared from several music streaming services and social media platforms.
About the anthem: The unofficial protest anthem became widely known and sung during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
In 2020, the Hong Kong government outlawed the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” due to secessionist and subversive connotations. The protest anthem, which includes parts of the slogan in its lyrics, was also widely banned in the city.
Song removal: As of Wednesday, the song is no longer available on music streaming services Spotify and Apple Music or on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
According to the Associated Press, Spotify stated that the song was removed by its distributor and not the platform.
Court order: The disappearance of the song comes after Hong Kong’s government said it was seeking a court injunction to ban the anthem and its derivatives on Tuesday. The recent court order prompted the song to rise to the top of Apple iTunes’ charts last week.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the song was “not compatible with national interest.”
