HONG KONG -- You can gauge a lot about a revolution from its soundtrack. Along with boycotts, blockades and human chains, group singing has been a part of Hong Kong's protest movement since it erupted on June 9 when more than a million people took to the streets over a proposed anti-extradition law.
As protesters' demands have evolved, so too has the playlist. Early on, Christian groups had countered tear gas and rubber bullets with the hymn "Sing Hallelujah to the Lord." Then came "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from the musical Les Miserables, a chorus about a historical uprising; it had been a favorite during the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Revolution. This song returned both in protest rallies and as a rejoinder to the Chinese national anthem at soccer matches and school gatherings.