Inside the Apple Daily newsroom, the staff greeted each other with applause and tears as the newspaper’s executive editor sent the last edition for print.
It was an emotional farewell for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. As the newspaper printed its final edition on Thursday, readers and supporters were seen lining up outside the headquarters of the newspapers. Photos and videos from Hong Kong showed people lining up from dawn around the corners of the street. The Queues stretched few kilometres. The supporters had arrived to greet the employees who sent the final edition for printing.
The staff of the newspaper that had become synonymous with Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protestors, were seen standing on top of the Headquarter building waiving at the supporters and lighting a torch. Inside the newsroom, the staff greeted each other with applause and tears as the newspaper’s executive editor sent the last edition for print. The newspaper which generally sells 80,000 copies printed One million copies on the last day.
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Even the next day, people were seen thronging the stores to buy copies of the newspaper.
A week ago there was a raid in the office of the newspaper. The newspaper was accused of violating the controversial national security law. The police arrested the chief editor and 5 other employees and the assets related to the company was confiscated.
The incident has invoked sharp reaction from across the world. US President Joe Biden said that it is a sad day for media freedom in Hong Kong and around the world. “Beijing must stop targeting the independent press and release the journalists and media executives that have been detained. The act of journalism is not a crime,” he said.
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