Hong Kong crackdown continues: Activists detained on Tiananmen anniversary, bookshop raided

Hong Kong's national security crackdown persisted through June, marking six years since the Beijing-imposed law took effect. Authorities continued to suppress dissent, with police raiding an independent bookshop and arresting its owner and husband. Activists and ordinary citizens were also stopped and detained in Causeway Bay on June 4, the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

“

Police officers at the scene warned her that her behaviour could be “seditious”.

Despite a heavy police presence, several individuals attempted to commemorate the Tiananmen anniversary. One activist chanted a Buddhist mantra while walking in Causeway Bay, and another gestured "six" and "four" with her hands, prompting police warnings and detention. A young man was also intercepted by police after writing on his arm. In total, seven people were taken away by police on June 4 for allegedly disrupting public order.

“

Police at the scene warned Chan that her behaviour might constitute “disorder in public places” and told her to put the flower in her bag.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government is further consolidating its national security apparatus. New legislation grants the chief executive the power to certify any criminal act as a national security case, expanding the scope of the law. Concurrently, foreign missions in Hong Kong, including the US, British, Canadian, and Australian consulates, marked the Tiananmen anniversary through displays and social media tributes, underscoring the international attention on the city's evolving political landscape.

“

Police said a total of seven people – five men and two women, aged 17 to 79 – in Causeway Bay had been taken away in Causeway Bay on June 4.