On July 15, the Hong Kong national security police raided two bookstores in Mong Kok: Have a Nice Stay (founded by former journalists) and Greenfield Bookstore. These raids represent a qualitative shift in the approach of the national security police, which had hitherto tolerated the existence of independent bookstores. Their function was to build and sustain a community, which became more difficult in Hong Kong amid the rapid breakdown of civil society following the 2020 National Security Law and the subsequent installation of a national security complex. The July 15 arrests were made under the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which broadly outlined internal and external threats. Other, more visible changes include the complete renovation of the Hong Kong Museum of History to include a national security component.