For the entire duration that the anthem played over the loudspeakers, they repeated the chorus of the revolutionary song from the musical version of Victor Hugo’s classic, Les Misérables.

The teachers on stage did not stop the students. But addressing the school a few minutes later, principal Lam Siu-kuen urged them to seek common ground amid their political differences, and maintain harmony in the school.

A video of the ceremony marking the start of the new school year quickly went viral online, with many internet users praising the students for their courage, and the teachers for being open-minded and not interrupting their protest.

A smaller number criticised the students for insulting China and demanded accountability from the principal. 

As increasingly violent anti-government protests in Hong Kong continue for a fourth month, music has become a significant part of the action, with rival sides making political statements with their choice and treatment of songs.

This is epitomised by the growing popularity of Glory to Hong Kong, a new song that has captured the imagination of protesters.

The original Cantonese song first made its rounds on LIHKG, a popular forum especially among protesters to share information, in late August, but has since spread across the city with different versions, including ones in English, Japanese, Korean, and one with full orchestral backing.

“Music is powerful and it can bring people participating in a social movement together to have common thinking,” says music and history scholar Edmond Tsang Yik-man.

Songs of freedom

Music has long been part of social movements worldwide, including the civil rights movement in the United States, and especially in the 1950s and 1960s as African Americans fought for equal rights.

One of its most prominent leaders, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, called freedom songs “the soul of the movement”. King was assassinated in 1968.

Both the songs featured at Po Leung Kuk Celine Ho Yam Tong College earlier this month – the national anthem and Do You Hear the People Sing? – express the desire to break free from a life of enslavement. But in Hong Kong’s ongoing social unrest, each has taken on a radically different meaning.

Do You Hear the People Sing? is one of the main songs in Les Misérables, which is set in 19th-century France and centres on the June Rebellion of 1832. Originally in French, it has been translated into other languages including English and Cantonese, and has figured as a protest song in places such as Venezuela, Turkey and now, Hong Kong.

Protesters in the city have been singing the song during marches and at demonstrations on campuses as well as in shopping centres.

Tsang, who is also a composer, says its lyrics and music structure suit the social movement.

“The lyrics are about protests and demands not being heard,” he says.

He notes that the song’s rhythm, which consists of notes of unequal length, arouses emotions, fitting the mood when people march.

This musical device is also used for Glory to Hong Kong, an original composition now regarded as the de facto anthem of the protest movement.

“It is easy to put yourself into the music while singing or walking, which is why the song resonated with many Hongkongers quickly when it came out,” the musician says.

Daniel, a protester in his late twenties, says the lyric, “Why is it that even though we are bleeding, the marching sound is still resounding?” reminds him of events Hongkongers went through in the past few months, such as a young woman protester suffering a serious eye injury, and a mob attacking protesters and residents in Yuen Long.

Daniel, not his real name, finds it significant that the song originated from LIHKG, with it composed by a musician who wishes to be known only as “Thomas dgx yhl”, while lyrics are by users of the forum.

“I am humming the song to myself all the time,” he says.

Another song that has become popular at the protests is rock band Beyond’s 1993 hit Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies, with its chorus about the desire to fight for freedom and pursue dreams. It was adopted as the unofficial anthem of the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy movement, which shut down several parts of Hong Kong for 79 days.

Tsang believes Glory to Hong Kong, which was composed for the current protests, will now eclipse the Beyond hit as a protest song for this movement.

Hong Kong protest songs: 7 anthems of the anti-extradition movement

Reclaiming the discourse

The singing has not been limited to anti-government protesters. Pro-Beijing groups too have increasingly been raising their voices in public.

Employing tactics similar to protesters with opposing views, pro-China residents have also taken to the malls for flash mobs of the Chinese national anthem in recent weeks, with a group of them appearing at Pacific Place in Admiralty earlier this week.

Simon Zhang, who works in the financial sector, says he joined the singalong in the mall as he could not bear protesters’ violence and negative sentiments towards China.

“The protesters have taken away our freedom to travel on public transport to go to work, shop and eat,” says Zhang, who works in Admiralty but lives in To Kwa Wan.

He moved to Hong Kong from mainland five years ago and intended to make the city his permanent home, but the recent protests have him worried about Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub.

“I had goosebumps after hearing everyone sing the national anthem,” he says. “We must use our voice to stand up for China.”

The battlefield of music

Glory to Hong Kong has also caught the attention of mainland China, but not for quite the same reasons as protesters in Hong Kong.

On September 14, People’s Daily Weibo account shared a version of the song with new lyrics and a new song title roughly translating as “wishing for the truth to save Hong Kong”.

The lyrics included questions as to why the golden land of Hong Kong was being destroyed and another, which appeared to be directed to protesters, on why they threw stones but did not want to be held accountable for it.

The Weibo post read: “Recently, those causing chaos in Hong Kong have introduced a Hong Kong independence song.”

The post also said the new version served to fight independence advocacy. The original Glory to Hong Kong features lyrics such as “liberate Hong Kong” and “revolution of the times”.

But Daniel does not think the song is calling for the breakaway of the city from the mainland, and instead is calling on people not to give up, and creating a sense of togetherness.

The song’s composer Thomas says he hopes the song willbring people together.

Protesters too have fought back, continuing to boo the national anthem at large-scale events where it is played and introducing new versions of Glory to Hong Kong.

Tsang says the speed in the production of different versions of Glory to Hong Kong was a testament to its power as a protest song.

“The orchestral version is very special, giving a high quality and rational touch to the song as people will not associate orchestral music with violent protesters,” he says.

He says the versions in different languages such as English, Japanese and Korean, were also significant as the protesters want foreigners, who do not speak Cantonese, to know about their demands.

“No matter how much of music you have learnt, it is easy to understand it,” Tsang says. “Music is able to quickly bring back memories.”

Daniel, who has been to several singalongs, says he is touched to see different Hongkongers, from office workers to road sweepers, coming together to sing with tourists looking on curiously.

“Music brings the local community together and this in itself is material action.”

Additional reporting by Gigi Choy