Its lyrics include the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong; Revolution of our times,” and it had already become dangerous to play or sing after authorities crushed the demonstrations.
In one mix-up that particularly embarrassed officials, the song was played as the city’s anthem at an international sporting event instead of China’s “March of the Volunteers.”
Although Hong Kong police said the content was a deliberate insult to China’s national anthem, Google left the videos online.
Hong Kong’s High Court last year made a surprise ruling against the ban, which it said could have a “chilling effect” on innocent third parties.
Poon said the injunction was needed as “criminal law alone would not achieve the public interest purpose of safeguarding national security.”
Since the protests were quashed and Beijing’s national security law enacted in 2020, public dissent has largely dissipated with most pro-democracy activists and opposition politicians either arrested, silenced, or living in self-imposed exile.
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