Singer Arrested for ‘Public Disorder’

Hong Kong police have arrested street performer Oliver Ma, 22, for “public disorder.” The arrest took place while the singer was performing a protest-related song and reportedly ignored noise complaints. Ma is known for his rendition of “Glory to Hong Kong,” the unofficial song of the 2019 anti-extradition bill protests.

Ma claimed his songs “had nothing to do with politics” at the time police “arbitrarily arrested” him. “I was minding my own business busking to my first crowd in seven to nine months. My first, second, and third songs had nothing to do with politics whatsoever when the cops decided to target, harass & arbitrarily arrest me again,” the singer said on Instagram. Ma shared a few videos of the incident with his followers in a series of posts. He can be seen talking with Hong Kong Police officers. “Mr, this is your second warning. Stop your behavior, you are breaching the law,” one of the officers warned him.

He says his busking equipment was taken yet again in the incident when he didn’t comply with the police’s wishes. The singer has shared links to his site and Patreon account so his fans can support his endeavors to secure another set of busking equipment. In an interview with Hong Kong’s Epoch Times, he opened up about his experience as a street performer. He reveals that he finds it sad to not feel supported by other street performers. “I feel very confused. I have the support of the public, but at the same time, my own circle does not support me,” he said.

Ma plans to continue using his platform to combat and protest the current political climate in Hong Kong, even though his continued run-ins with police have served as a major obstacle. “We can’t fight on the streets or participate in parades. OK, what we can do is to be creative and be water. The more creative, the more we will achieve,” he added.