The Court of Appeal in Hong Kong has approved a request by the Government of that Chinese self-governing region to ban the popular protest song "Glory to Hong Kong".
In doing so, he overturned a first-instance ruling that had rejected the request for an injunction and deepened concerns about the erosion of freedoms in Asia's once liberal global financial center.
Demonstrators often chanted "Glory to Hong Kong" at major anti-government protests in 2019.
The song was later mistakenly played as the city's national anthem at international sporting events, instead of China's "March of the Volunteers", upsetting city officials.
This is the first time the song has been banned in the city since Britain returned the former colony to China in 1997.
Critics said the ban on airing or distributing the song further curtailed freedom of expression in Hong Kong after Beijing cracked down on a rebellion against its laws that led to protests in 2019.
They also warned that the ban could disrupt the operations of tech giants and damage the city's appeal as a business center.
Judge Jeremy Poon said the composer intended the song to be a "weapon", and noted its power to evoke emotions in some of the city's residents.
"We accept the executive branch's assessment that prosecutions alone are clearly inadequate to deal with acute criminal problems, and that there is a compelling need for a ban," Pun said.
According to him, the ban is necessary to convince internet platform operators to remove "problematic videos related to the song" from their platforms.
The operators have indicated that they are ready to comply with the government's request if there is a court order, Pun added.
The ban is aimed at anyone who would broadcast or distribute the song in order to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China.
Any actions that misrepresent the song as the national anthem with the intention of insulting the anthem are also prohibited.
The song can still be played for the purposes of legal journalistic and academic activity.
Failure to comply with a court order would be considered contempt of court. The offender risks a fine or imprisonment.
Bonus video:
