Two US politicians have urged Google to restore access to protest song Glory to Hong Kong, after Hongkongers were geo-blocked from viewing it on YouTube following a court injunction.
Google, which removed 32 videos of the 2019 protest anthem from its streaming platform, also said it would remove related results from its search engine following the ruling last month.
See also: Explainer: How, and why, the gov’t banned protest song ‘Glory to Hong Kong’
US Representative Chris Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley, chair and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China. wrote to Google and YouTube, asking whether they would appeal the injunction “because it violates international human rights principles that the companies promised to uphold.”
The politicians said the court ruling may forbid the distribution of the song if there was “seditious intent,” intent to insult the national anthem, or intent to incite others to commit secession. “The injunction does not, however, impose a blanket ban on ‘Glory to Hong Kong.’ It does not ‘prohibit any lawful acts in connection with the Song… conducted for purposes such as academic activity and news activity’,” they added.
YouTube ‘investigating’ appeal
Glory to Hong Kong was first released in August 2019, at the height of the citywide pro-democracy demonstrations and unrest. Its lyrics include the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” which the government has deemed “pro-independence” and capable of inciting secession. It has been mistaken for the national anthem on several occasions and played at public events. Hong Kong’s national anthem is China’s March of the Volunteers.
On Thursday a YouTube spokesperson told HKFP it “strongly disagreed” with the court order and was still considering an appeal. “We pushed back against the government’s demand that we remove these videos for over a year, and are continuing to investigate our options for an appeal,” the spokesperson said. “This is not a blanket ban, and these 32 videos remain viewable outside of Hong Kong. We share the Commission’s commitment to ensuring freedom of expression in Hong Kong.”
HKFP has reached out to the Security Bureau for comment.
Last Wednesday, DGX Music, the team behind the protest song, announced that it had permanently re-uploaded the song to streaming platforms after versions of it were briefly removed. The new uploads on Spotify and Apple Music dated May 25 and 26, include an acapella version released as a single, as well as a Permanent Edition EP with orchestral, instrument, music box, and English versions.
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