Pro-Democracy Businesses Close Under Suppression of Hong Kong Authorities

Pro-Beijing newspapers accused the shop of supporting violence and sent reporters pretending to be customers to secretly take photos of its staff members.

Police officers stand guard where a cancelled march for women's rights was scheduled to take place in Hong Kong, on March 5, 2023. Louise Delmotte/AP Photo

Under the suppression of Hong Kong authorities involving various departments, multiple “yellow businesses” that support pro-democracy protests have been forced to close.

After the 2019 anti-ELAB, also known as the anti-extradition bill, protests in Hong Kong, dissenters began to form a “yellow economic circle,” hoping to support like-minded businesses, sustain the livelihoods of pro-democracy business owners, and reduce dependence on businesses connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Yau Lei Bistro announced on Feb. 14 that its branch in Ngau Tau Kok has ceased operations due to long-term impact from “unavoidable circumstances.”

“There were thousands of words we’d like to say, but we’d better not say any,” reads the Facebook post.

The photo in the post showed fines and documents from various government departments, including the Companies Registry and Fire Services Department.

Yau Lei Bistro frequently shared news related to protests and commemorative events, as well as posts from pro-democracy activists such as Joshua Wong and Nathan Law.

Bookstore Struggles Despite Relocation

Prejudice Books, which operates as a 24-hour unmanned bookstore, was inspected by Lands Department personnel in December 2023. In January, the Department accused the bookstore of violating the industrial building’s land lease, which stated that the building could not be used for retail purposes, and ordered it to move out by February.

The bookstore owner believed that the incident was due to the authorities’ suppression of “yellow businesses,” the Lands Department responded that it handled cases of industrial building lease violations based on risk management and denied targeting specific industries.

Afterward, Prejudice Books moved to Yue Man Centre at Kwun Tong, with the new location only half the size, about 50 square feet. However, on Feb. 16, the store was visited by Labour Department officials who inquired about their employee insurance status.

Replying to a media inquiry by The Epoch Times, the Labor Department responded that labor inspectors conduct inspections of workplaces in various industries according to established guidelines to ensure compliance with labor laws. As inspections and enforcement actions are carried out confidentially, the Department does not comment on individual cases.

The Department did not respond as to whether other stores in the Centre were inspected on the same day.

Prejudice Books has supported pro-democracy protests since 2019 and has frequently mentioned protest-related words on its Facebook page.

Repeat Inspection of Independent Bookstores

Prejudice Books is not the only independent bookstore that the authorities have inspected.

Hunter Bookstore, founded by former district councilor Leticia Wong, stated that it underwent a “routine inspection” by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority in December 2023. It also noted that the same authority “visited” another bookstore, Have A Nice Stay, on Dec. 7, questioning the selective nature of the inspections.

“Two uncommon departments in a row, two consecutive days of ‘routine inspections’ over a distance of more than one kilometer of stores (but the store next to it is not seen to be inspected). Is it really a ‘routine inspection,’ or is it a purposeful and organized ‘selective inspection’?” reads the post.

A protester holds a flag reading "Liberate Hong Kong, the Revolution of Our Times" during a demonstration in Hong Kong, Dec. 31, 2019. The Canadian Press/AP-Lee Jin-man

Replying to a media inquiry by The Epoch Times, the Companies Registry said that it had been inspecting companies to ensure compliance with the Companies Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation and that the department would take appropriate enforcement and inspection actions according to the law.

Bookstore Forced to Close 

Mount Zero Books, another intellectual gathering place, was accused by the Lands Department in September 2023 of occupying unleased land without permission.

In December 2023, the police claimed they received complaints alleging that people at the bookstore were obstructing the streets by occupying public areas.

On Dec. 5, 2023, the bookstore announced that it would close on March 31, 2024, citing incessant harassment from “mysterious individuals” and receiving warning letters from various departments every week.

Mount Zero Books occasionally invited speakers to hold small sharing sessions, including former dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Francis L. F. Lee, veteran media personality Allan Au, and former Legislative Council member Margaret Ng.

Restaurant in Industrial Building Closed

In addition to bookstores, restaurants are also not immune to inspections.

Similar to Yau Lei Bistro, Kwong Wing Catering, located in the Camel Paint Building in Kwun Tong, opened for only half a year before being ordered to close by the Lands Department for violating the usage of industrial buildings.

Kwong Wing Catering said that within a week of its opening, it was inspected by six or seven government departments and fined. They were informed that Camel Paint Building is designated for industrial and/or warehouse use in most of its land leases, not for retail purposes.

As a matter of fact, the building has always been home to numerous eateries and retail shops over the years. A search reveals that there are as many as 50 restaurants in the building, including Chinese, Western, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese cuisine and desserts, pastries, and sweets stores.

In response to criticism of selective enforcement, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said, “A violation is a violation.”

Customers sit near blank notes on a Lennon Wall inside a pro-democracy restaurant in Hong Kong on July 3, 2020. Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images

During the anti-ELAB movement, Kwong Wing Catering expressed support for the protests, with many branches setting Lennon Walls and distributing desserts for free to boost the protesters’ morale.

During the pandemic, Kwong Wing Catering was inspected multiple times by the police to check compliance with regulations such as seating capacity and table distance.

‘Yellow Businesses’ Fined

In addition to labor, land use, and company registration matters, pro-democracy restaurants have also been ticketed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Not One Less Coffee, which opened at the end of 2020, is themed around supporting pro-democracy protests since 2019. The shop’s interior and exterior were decorated with protest elements, such as “Hong Kong Add Oil” artwork, coffee cups labeled with “Hongkongers mustn’t get used to it,” etc. They also sold “The Hong Kong Diaries” by the last colonial governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten.

In December 2023, the coffee shop revealed its struggles, stating that it had been extremely difficult to operate since its opening. It received weekly complaints, and government departments visited regularly. It “received tickets every month” and was “constantly fined.” Many customers were scared away upon seeing government officials.

According to the shop’s Facebook post, CCP-controlled media accused the shop of supporting violence and sent reporters pretending to be customers to secretly take photos of its staff members. There were also incidents of people urinating and defecating outside the shop’s entrance, and the landlord made things difficult by demanding advance payment of one and a half year’s rent.

Toilet Stains Lead to Fine

On Feb. 3, Not One Less Coffee announced that they would temporarily close by March due to lease issues. It was revealed that “mysterious individuals” had been complaining about the shop for three years, and the owner had received “greetings” from as many as 11 departments, including the police, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Fire Services Department, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Inland Revenue Department, Labor Department, Buildings Department, Lands Department, Environmental Protection Department, Companies Registry, and Tobacco Control Office.

After the closure announcement, the shop was fined $3,500 on Feb. 21 for two offenses, including “unsanitary conditions in food premises” and “unclean and poorly maintained sanitary facilities.”

According to the case, on Sept. 7, 2023, there was a 6-square-meter persistent stain on the ceiling of the men’s room in the shop; on Oct. 10, 2023, there were persistent black stains on the inner wall of the male toilet basin in the shop. At the hearing, the person in charge pleaded that “we have worked hard to clean up” and said they immediately cleaned the restroom upon discovering the situation.