Denise Ho resorted to an online gig after struggling to book a live venue. After the police attention, she wrote on Instagram that she was proud of her “bravest team,” adding in Chinese that “it is good to try your utmost, despite the turbulence.”
A live-streamed gig by Hong Kong singer-activist Denise Ho was interrupted by police citing a noise complaint on Sunday, with around a dozen officers arriving at the venue and taking down the identification details of the crew.
Ho ended up performing online after venues repeatedly shunned her efforts to book space.
Police arrived at the now-shuttered Mount Zero bookstore in Sheung Wan at around 6 pm on Sunday while Ho was performing inside for a pop-up gig streamed on her YouTube channel. Dozens of fans were gathered outside the shop.
The performance paused for about half an hour as police cordoned off the bookstore and checked the ID cards of the crew members, according to the livestream video.
Police were there to investigate a noise complaint and officers “suspected that an online concert was being held in the bookstore, which could create nuisances for other people,” a police spokesperson told HKFP on Monday. They did not respond as to how many police were deployed, from which unit, and why the area was cordoned off.
The force were investigating the organisers under the Noise Control Ordinance and the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance but no arrests were made, the spokesperson added.
Any person that creates noise in a domestic premises or public place on a holiday could be subject to a fine of up to HK$10,000. Separately, an event of “public entertainment” must be held in a place that has a licence issued by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau. Offenders face a fine of HK$25,000 and 6 months in jail.
Ho and her musicians, including local pop producer Mike Orange, appeared undisturbed during the police investigation and they continued to perform after the saga.
She walked out of Mount Zero at around 8.30 pm, waving goodbye to fans behind the police cordon line who had stayed and watched the online gig on mobile phones, according to videos shot on the scene.
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