Hong Kong court to decide whether to ban broadcast and distribution of protest song

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong court will hand down a closely-watched decision over whether to ban the broadcast and distribution of a protest song after the government asked it to do so in the name of national security. The song, “Glory to Hong Kong,” was written during the 2019 antigovernment protests. Its lyrics call for democracy and liberty. But it has been mistakenly played at several international sporting events instead of China’s national anthem, “March of the Volunteers.” Critics worry a ban will further shrink the city’s freedom of expression, which has become increasingly threadbare under Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement — and pose challenges to the operations of tech giants.