HONG KONG -- Apple Daily, a Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper that has been harshly critical of the Chinese Communist regime, ceased publication after its last edition on Thursday, and people lined up at newspaper stands to buy copies, regretting the periodical's discontinuation.
The paper has been a symbol of freedom of speech in Hong Kong under China's "one country, two systems" formula. The Wednesday paper had a circulation of 1 million copies, the largest since the paper's founding in 1995. The front page of the last edition featured a headline quoting readers as saying, "We support Apple Daily," and a photo of supporters gathering in front of the paper's headquarters in the rain. An editorial titled "A farewell to the people of Hong Kong" declared that "Freedom of the press has become a victim of tyranny," and thanked readers by saying, "We love Hong Kong forever."
The newly printed newspapers arrived around 1:00 a.m., and at least 1,000 people lined up at a newspaper stand in the downtown area of Kowloon Peninsula in the early hours of the morning.
"The authorities are tightening the screws, and the only thing I can do is to buy the last newspaper. I want to show that the voices of Hong Kongers demanding freedom and autonomy cannot be suppressed," said 43-year-old male hairdresser.
Some shouted the slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times," which was frequently raised during the 2019 protests.
The editors and executives were arrested on suspicion of violating the National Security Law, and the assets of three affiliated companies were frozen, cutting off funding for operations and forcing the paper to cease publication. The electronic version of the paper was also suspended as of the end of Wednesday.
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