Pro-democracy singer Denise Ho harassed again

She can no longer book a public venue. A live stream of a concert in a private hall was interrupted by the police, citing noise protection regulations.

by Gladys Kwok

There is no peace in Hong Kong for the talented pro-democracy singer Denise Ho. She reports that she cannot sing in public places because no one in Hong Kong will rent anything to her. She cannot sing abroad either: she is a Canadian citizen, but her passport has been confiscated and she cannot leave Hong Kong. Ho’s only option is to sing in private places and live stream her concert. But that is also becoming impossible because the police are stopping her performances under various pretexts.

On June 30, Ho broadcast a concert live from the Mount Zero Bookstore, an iconic location. It was an oasis of freedom that sold books that were not allowed to be sold elsewhere until the bookstore was forced to close in December 2023 after constant “security” and other inspections and harassment.

While Ho was singing, the police came and stopped the concert, claiming that she was performing in public without a permit and making too much noise, which is prohibited under Hong Kong’s noise control regulations. Both allegations were untrue. Only her recording team was in the bookstore. A group of fans had gathered outside the store to applaud her, but they were not allowed to enter Mount Zero and had to stay on the street. The noise, Ho’s supporters claim, remained within the limits of the regulations.

Apparently the problem had nothing to do with noise or the lack of a performance license. The police are harassing Ho because of her pro-human rights and pro-democracy views.

In 2022, Ho was arrested as one of the former trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, along with human rights lawyer Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, then 90-year-old Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, and cultural scientist Hui Po-keung. Established in 2019, the fund provided emergency aid, legal assistance, and psychological counseling to pro-democracy protesters mistreated or arrested by police. In October 2021, it was forced to dissolve due to the new National Security Law.

The ongoing harassment of Denise Ho is proof that the fight for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong will neither be forgotten nor forgiven.