China: A well-known protest song in Hong Kong has been blocked on YouTube, following a court decision granting the government’s request to ban the anthem.
YouTube said in a statement on Wednesday that, as a result of a court ruling, 32 online sites that play “Glory to Hong Kong” have been blocked and are no longer accessible in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
When users tried to view the videos—which feature the song’s instrumental and sign language versions—from Hong Kong, they were met with notices that said things like, “This video isn’t available anymore” or “This content is not available on this country domain due to a court order.”
A musician, using a pseudonym, created “Glory to Hong Kong” in August 2019. It quickly became the unofficial anthem of pro-democracy protests. Authorities have criticized the song, claiming it promotes separatist ideals.
The protest slogan “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” which was already banned in 2020, is mentioned in the ballad’s lyrics. The government and courts of Hong Kong had declared that the phrase included subversive and separatist overtones.
China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers,” has been incorrectly played at international sporting events featuring Hong Kong teams for the past two years, instead of “Glory to Hong Kong.”
Pro-Beijing lawmakers and officials, such as Paul Lam, the city’s minister of justice, have mostly pointed the finger at Google’s algorithm for allowing the song to rank well in searches.
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