On July 15, the Hong Kong national security police raided two bookstores in Mong Kok: Have a Nice Stay (founded by former journalists) and Greenfield Bookstore. The police arrested five people on suspicion of selling seditious publications.
This falls into a larger pattern of national security operations against bookstores, with Book Punch and Hunter Bookstore being targeted in March and June, respectively. Book Punch and Hunter are well-known and established bookstores within Hong Kong, and the government cracking down on them sends a signal to all independently operated bookstores and civic spaces.
These raids represent a qualitative shift in the approach of the national security police, which had hitherto tolerated the existence of independent bookstores. The businesses in question were more than just bookstores; they functioned as semi-civic spaces, hosting typical events such as discussions and book talks but also yoga classes. Their function was to build and sustain a community, which became more difficult in Hong Kong amid the rapid breakdown of civil society following the 2020 National Security Law and the subsequent installation of a national security complex. The July 15 arrests were made under the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which broadly outlined internal and external threats.
