Acid attack fails to deter book fair visitors
Business at the two-day Causeway Bay Book Fair increased despite last month's acid attack in the area, with a heavy police presence and organisers stockpiling bottles of water for use in an emergency.
The arrest of a suspect on Thursday may have eased the public's fears, but surveillance and safety measures were stepped up for the fair, which ended yesterday.
Police positioned on rooftops monitored the fair's 55 booths, which were spread across East Point Road, Great George Street and Pak Sha Road pedestrian precinct.
Police also kept a close eye on Lockhart Road behind the Sogo department store, where six people were injured in an acid attack on December 12.
Monitoring was also stepped up at street level. At least one police patrol car was parked at the end of each street where the booths were set up. Uniformed officers also patrolled the area and the organiser said plainclothes officers were on hand.
Although the fair took place after the suspect was caught, police believe those responsible for the acid attacks in Kowloon are still at large.
William So Wai-leung from the organiser of the fair, the Hong Kong Book and Magazine Trade Association, said there had been thorough safety planning for the event even though exhibitors had been undeterred by the acid attack.
'We had numerous meetings with police, and walked through some surveillance points,' he said. 'Large bottles of water were also prepared for first aid in case of another acid attack.'
He said organisers had offered cover under canvas to publishers facing a private building where an attack could take place, but they had declined, saying they had confidence in the measures adopted by police.
He estimated a 5 per cent rise in sales on last year among the 31 exhibitors. ' 'Visitor numbers are around 220,000 [for the two days], similar to that of last year, but as the economy is recovering visitors were more willing to spend.'
But Sesame Publication, whose booth was situated on the spot where the acid attack took place, proved to be an exception.
A staff member, who did not want to give his name, said there were fewer visitors to the booth than last year. Although they had not been worried about an acid attack with the heavy police presence, the number of customers had fallen and they were also spending less.
However, other publishers with stalls some distance from the scene of the attack did better. Commercial Press recorded a 10 per cent increase in sales, with each visitor spending about HK$130.
Some popular titles had been snapped up and the company had to bring in extra supplies from its nearby store, deputy manager Mark Wong Ma-chi said. Customer Vera Chui said the arrest of the suspect had eased her fears, and the bargains on offer at the fair encouraged her to spend more.
Safety first
Book fair security was stepped up after the Causeway Bay attack
The number of people injured by the acid attacker in Lockhart Road on December 12: 6
