Hong Kong book lovers mourn store closure after constant complaints

Hong Kong book lovers mourn store closure after constant complaints

In a quiet Hong Kong cul-de-sac, hundreds gathered over the weekend to say goodbye to an independent bookstore after weekly government inspections spurred by anonymous complaints forced it to put up the shutters.

Mount Zero said it would close at the end of March after constant complaints to authorities, which had accused it of illegally occupying government land by tiling a pavement in front of the store, with the threat of fines and jail time.

Hong Kong recently enacted a second national security law, which critics fear will further drive pro-democracy sentiments underground and chill cultural and artistic freedoms. The city's government has rejected allegations the laws curtail freedom of expression.