Lam Wing-kee, famous colleague of bookseller Gui Minhai and getting ready to re-open their bookstore in Taiwan this Saturday, hit by ugly attack today Tuesday, drenched with paint by assailants who fled the scene on foot but who are currently pursued by Taiwan’s police. It seems obvious this attack on free speech and free expression is launched by agents of the Beijing regime, and this is also Lam’s interpretation. –It’s outrageous and very ominous. Magnus Fiskesjö, nf42@cornell.edu
It’s a breaking developing story, but in English see these:
https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202004210011
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-04-21/bookseller-who-fled-hong-kong-attacked-with-red-paint-in-taiwan
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Seller-of-books-critical-of-China-leaders-15214920.php
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1904390/bookseller-who-fled-hong-kong-attacked-with-red-paint-in-taiwan
https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200421-1192674
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2020/apr/21/seller-of-books-critical-of-china-leaders-attacked/
–and these in Chinese:
Interview on video with Lam after the attack, commenting on the situation and the fear of new assaults:
【铜锣湾书店台北开幕前夕 林荣基遭泼红漆】 【又遭警告有商标纠纷 威胁意味浓厚】 林荣基21号早在咖啡厅，突遭一男子以红漆泼洒全身。他认为这跟共产党脱不了关系。铜锣湾书店在台湾还遭人抢先注册，林接到律师函要求不得开店。种种遭遇，警告意味浓厚。但林荣基表示，25号书店仍将开幕。 #铜锣湾书店
Video
自由亚洲电台, @RFA_Chinese. 6:14 AM · Apr 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/RFA_Chinese/status/1252541085525569536
Photos in this Apple Daily report:
【銅鑼灣書店●專訪】疑犯身影曝光！林榮基遭紅油淋全身：無有怕！書店照開！48min [21 april 2020]
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/20200421/TDM2RQGGFZCDAFZVCM363NPA7U/
https://www.trendsmap.com/twitter/tweet/1252458616780546050
The perpetrators seen running away in this RFA clip:
【林荣基遇袭视频曝光】前香港铜锣湾书店店长林荣基25日将在台北重开书店，不料他21日上午在中山区吃早餐时，突然遭不明人士泼红油，犯嫌随即徒步逃逸。
附近店铺的保安视频显示，施袭者身穿黑衣，事发后随即逃跑，满身沾满红油的林荣基亦有上前追赶那名施袭者。#林荣基 #台湾 #铜锣湾书店
Video
自由亚洲电台, @RFA_Chinese. 1:11 AM · Apr 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/RFA_Chinese/status/1252464904293904389
Lam as he is helped by Taiwan police:
【铜锣湾书店台北重新开张前夕 林荣基遭泼漆】
21号上午8时许，林荣基在书店附近咖啡店，突遭不明男子泼洒红色油漆，造成林头部与身体都沾染红漆，犯案男子泼洒后立刻快跑离开。警方调查研判至少2人所为。林荣基的书店被商标蟑螂抢注店名，昨天林才出面说明，今天就遭泼漆，警告意味浓厚。
Video
自由亚洲电台, @RFA_Chinese. 12:26 AM · Apr 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/RFA_Chinese/status/1252453634693926913
- from Taiwan’s central news agency:
林榮基在台北遭潑漆：開個書店就要恐嚇 真的很荒謬 | 社會 | 重點新聞 | 中央社 CNA 最新更新：2020/04/21 12:33
前香港銅鑼灣書店店長林榮基今早在台北中山區遭人潑漆。他受訪時表示，昨天才收到律師函警告店名已被註冊，今早就被潑漆，恐嚇意味十足，「開個書店就要恐嚇，真的很荒謬」。
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202004215008.aspx
More on the simultaneous attack on the bookstore’s brand:
Lam Wing-kee: CCP behind rival ‘Causeway Bay Books’. RTHK. 2020-04-20 HKT 19:03