The group that created the popular protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” announced on Friday that the song’s distributor, EmuBands, has decided to remove the music from all platforms due to a court ban in the city.
This news comes a week after YouTube blocked access to videos featuring the song in Hong Kong.
Dgxmusic, the group behind the song, expressed their opposition to EmuBands’ decision on Instagram. They mentioned that the song has already been removed from iTunes and Apple Music in various regions, and most versions of the song were also unavailable on Spotify in Hong Kong as of Friday.
Earlier this month, an appeals court granted the Hong Kong government’s request to prohibit the broadcast or distribution of the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China. However, Dgxmusic clarified that the song itself is not banned by the injunction and expressed hope that it would be reinstated as soon as possible.
The government’s ban on the song has raised concerns about the further decline of freedom of expression and internet freedom in Hong Kong. Critics have also warned that the ban might disrupt the operations of tech giants and undermine the city’s appeal as a global financial hub.
Last week, YouTube blocked access to 32 videos of the song that were deemed “prohibited publications” under the injunction for viewers in Hong Kong. The tech company expressed disappointment with the court’s decision and stated that it would continue to consider its options.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong leader John Lee said the government would continue monitoring internet platforms for any non-compliance with the court order.
“Glory to Hong Kong” is widely regarded as the anthem of the 2019 protest movement, which was followed by a government crackdown that has nearly silenced dissenting voices in the city.
Instances where the song was mistakenly played as the city’s official anthem at international sporting events, instead of China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers,” have also angered city officials.
The government took Google to court last year after the company resisted pressure to display China’s national anthem as the top result in searches for the city’s anthem instead of the protest song.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.