An appeals court on Wednesday granted the Hong Kong government’s request to ban a popular protest song, overturning an earlier ruling and deepening concerns over the erosion of freedoms in the once-freewheeling global financial hub.

Glory to Hong Kong was often sung by demonstrators during huge anti-government protests in 2019. The song was later mistakenly played as the city’s anthem at international sporting events, instead of China’s March of the Volunteers, in mix-ups that upset city officials.

It was the first time a song has been banned in the city since Britain handed the territory back to Chinese rule in 1997.

Critics have said prohibiting the broadcast or distribution of the song further reduces freedom of expression since Beijing launched a crackdown in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests.

They have also warned the ban might disrupt the operation of tech giants and hurt the city’s appeal as a business centre.

Judge Jeremy Poon wrote that the composer intended for the song to be a “weapon”, pointing to its power in arousing emotions among some residents of the city.

“We accept the assessment of the executive that prosecutions alone are not adequate to tackle the acute criminal problems and that there is a compelling need for an injunction,” he said.