Hong Kong Free Press
Have a Nice Stay, founded by former journalists from now-shuttered Stand News, was raided by national security police last month.
Dozens of bookworms squeezed into Hong Kong independent bookstore Have a Nice Stay on Sunday for its final day in business, paying tribute to the shop that was raided by national security police last month.
Over the past week, fans had formed long queues winding up the Prince Edward tenement building where Have a Nice Stay is located, following the bookshop’s announcement that it would hold a five-day clearance sale before closing its doors forever.
At about 9pm on Sunday, Have a Nice Stay co-founder Sum Wan-wah thanked customers for their support and wished them well as he prepared to pull down the shutters.
“Take care, everyone. Have a Nice Stay will cease operation from today,” Sum told customers and reporters in Cantonese before closing the door to the bookshop he operated for four years.
Sum was among five independent booksellers arrested last month by the city’s national security police on suspicion of sedition. Three of the arrestees worked at Have a Nice Stay, while the other two were staffers at the 50-year-old Greenfield Bookstore in Mong Kok.
Police also raided the two stores, seizing allegedly seditious materials. The five were later granted bail pending police investigations.
A day before the raid, Have a Nice Stay announced that it would close by August 30, citing “unclear red lines” and financial struggles.
