On 3 August 2026, the retail shop and group-buying platform “As One” (如一), operated by former pro-democracy District Councillor Chu Kong-wai, was forced by the Buildings Department to demolish its shop signs, raised floor, and air-conditioning units over alleged unauthorized building works. Mundane checks are weaponized to target and financially exhaust civic spaces. While neighboring shops on Tai Nan Street in Prince Edward were also issued demolition orders, Chu noted that the speed of enforcement was unprecedented: they received court summonses shortly after the initial orders, forcing them to conduct disruptive construction works just before the crucial Mid-Autumn Festival sales period.
This mirrors an established pattern of sustained administrative harassment against pro-democracy (“yellow”) businesses. For instance, in September 2025, the well-known “yellow” eatery Keelung Restaurant (基隆茶餐廳) was abruptly ordered to remove its 20-year-old shopfront sign as an “illegal structure” following anonymous complaints. The restaurant’s owner reported that since April 2025, they had faced an exhausting barrage of inspections from multiple government departments, including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Fire Services Department, who admitted they were responding to external complaints.