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Hong Kong Police Raid Independent Bookstores and Arrest 5 People
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Hong Kong’s national security police raided two independent bookstores, seizing boxes of books and arresting five individuals on suspicion of sedition related to “seditious intention” and selling publications inciting hatred against the government, judiciary, and police.
- This marks the third recent arrest of independent bookstore proprietors amid a broader crackdown using the 2024 national security law, which punishes sedition with up to seven years in prison.
- The bookstores involved are reported to be Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Bookstore, both small independent shops in Kowloon, with Have a Nice Stay founded by former journalists from the now-shuttered Stand News.
- Have a Nice Stay announced it would close on August 30, citing financial difficulties and the challenging social climate in Hong Kong as key reasons for ceasing operations.
