Greenfield Book Store announced that it will cease operations when its lease expires, although it did not specify a concrete date. The bookstore expressed gratitude to its customers for their continuous support over the last fifty years since its opening.
Context of Police Arrests
This announcement came two weeks after Hong Kong authorities conducted searches in two bookstores, including Greenfield, resulting in the arrest of five individuals suspected of trafficking publications deemed seditious, according to local media reports.
Operations at Various Stores
On July 15, videos and photographs released by several media agencies showed police officers seizing boxes at the building housing the Have A Nice Stay bookstore, which was founded by former journalists. The Associated Press (AP) reported the seizure of boxes at the Greenfield Book Store, located a few blocks away.
Subsequently, the police confirmed conducting searches at two stores in the Mong Kok district, without revealing names. Two men and three women were arrested for violating the National Security Law of 2024, according to an official statement. This represented the third wave of arrests related to independent bookstores, following similar operations carried out in March and June.
Nature of the Accusations
The police stated that investigations revealed the five detainees are suspected of displaying and selling seditious materials. The content of these publications, according to the statement, included calls for hatred against the Government, the judicial system, and the city's security forces. Furthermore, the police informed that the case was referred to customs after the discovery of allegedly subversive books in a shipment from abroad to Hong Kong, without detailing the titles.
Closures and History
Have A Nice Stay had already communicated its planned closure for August 30, citing financial difficulties and the difficulty in establishing a 'red line' as determining factors for the decision. Hong Kong, a city neighboring Macau, was historically known for its freedom of expression and publication, with some Chinese residents crossing the border to acquire politically sensitive books on the mainland.
On the same day, July 15, the 36th Hong Kong Book Fair began, an event that marked the exclusion of two prominent independent bookstores. In March, the police arrested the owner and employees of Book Punch on suspicion of selling seditious publications, among which was the biography of the former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, sentenced to 20 years for a national security case. In June, Hong Kong police arrested two booksellers on suspicion of selling subversive publications and receiving funding from foreign political organizations.
