Hong Kong arrests five in crackdown on independent bookstores over seditious materials

Hong Kong police raided two bookstores in Mong Kok and arrested five people on suspicion of displaying and selling seditious publications under the 2024 national security law, marking the third such action against independent bookshops after March and June; authorities say the material targeted included content that stirs hatred toward the government, judiciary and police, and one bookstore—Have A Nice Stay—had already announced it would close on Aug 30 amid financial pressures and red-line concerns.