Police, environmental hygiene officers deployed to independent Hong Kong bookfair found no violations, gov’t says
Hong Kong Free Press
An operation that saw police and environmental hygiene officers deployed to investigate illegal shopfront extensions in a residential Hong Kong neighbourhood that was hosting a week-long independent book fair did not uncover any violations, authorities have said.
Inspections began on December 27, the first day of a book fair featuring 20 local independent publishers. Books were featured at 10 shops on and around Tai Ping Shan Street, including restaurants, cafes, and former bookstore Mount Zero, which closed in late March following a string of inspections by authorities prompted by alleged anonymous complaints.
See also: Hong Kong police deploy around independent book fair as attendees stopped and searched
Travel writer Pazu told HKFP on December 27 that he had been among those stopped and searched by police officers. People who bought books had their bags searched and IDs checked, he said.
HKFP reporters witnessed around 20 police officers in the area that day. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, “Tai Ping Shan Street in Sheung Wan is a favourite spot for the local artsy crowd.”
No violations found
In an emailed response to HKFP last Friday, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said it had been deployed to the area in a joint operation with police to combat shopfront extensions. “In the operation, no relevant situation was found,” it said.
Under Hong Kong law, extending a shopfront onto a pavement may constitute obstruction of a public place, an offence punishable by a HK$6,000 fine.
Mount Zero was in September 2023 accused of illegally occupying a stretch of pavement outside the store that had been decorated with patterned tiles.
In a separate emailed response, police last Friday said officers had been deployed to the area to inspect illegal shopfront extensions, but did not respond to questions about why visitors to shops in the area had been searched.
“The police regularly conducts joint operations with other government departments. The police with the relevant government department in late December conducted a joint operation in Central district to combat illegal extension of business by shops,” the police said in Chinese.
Mount Zero was founded in 2018, before a wave of new independent bookstores opened in the city after it was shaken by the 2019 protests and unrest and then hit by Covid-19.
The bookstore had also published books, including one by prominent pro-democracy figure Margaret Ng.
The ex-lawmaker was among seven democracy advocates who last year lost an appeal against their convictions for taking part in an unauthorised assembly on August 18, 2019.
Ng was intercepted by police as she left the bookstore in her car on December 27, before being let go around five minutes later.
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