Hong Kong police arrested five people and raided two independent bookstores on Wednesday following allegations that the establishments were selling seditious publications. Officers targeted the "Have A Nice Stay" and "Greenfield" bookstores in the Mong Kok district, seizing several boxes of materials. The arrested individuals, two men and three women, are being investigated under the 2024 national security law.
According to a police statement, the investigation began after customs officials discovered allegedly seditious books in a shipment from overseas. Authorities stated the publications contained material intended to incite hatred against the Hong Kong government, the judiciary, and law enforcement. Police did not release the specific titles of the books in question.
The operation marks the third time since March that Hong Kong authorities have targeted independent booksellers for alleged national security violations. Earlier this year, staff at other bookstores were arrested for selling biographies of pro-democracy figures and receiving foreign funds. All individuals from those previous cases were released on bail.
Hong Kong officials maintained that national security laws are necessary to ensure the city's stability following the 2019 anti-government protests. Secretary for Security Chris Tang previously stated that the government would not publish a formal list of banned books, citing implementation difficulties. "Have A Nice Stay" had recently announced it would close permanently in August due to financial challenges and political uncertainty.