Political crisis pervades opening of Hong Kong Book Fair 2019 although concerns over potential disruptions prove unfounded
- Queues form hours before 10am opening of seven-day event at convention centre in Wan Chai
- No signs yet of protesters who have earlier floated idea of boycotting booths of state-owned publisher
Hong Kong’s political crisis pervaded the opening of the city’s biggest annual book fair on Wednesday with keen interest in publications on the subject.
Concerns about anti-government protests disrupting the event proved unfounded but activists against the extradition bill made sure their objections to it featured prominently.
The fair, one of the largest in the world, opened at 10am in the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, with avid readers queuing up for hours beforehand. There are 686 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of publications, with last year’s instalment drawing 1 million visitors.
The bill would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no extradition deal, including mainland China. In the past month, protests have erupted across the city, including two massive marches, one of which drew an estimated 2 million people onto the streets.
