Hong Kong’s pro democracy newspaper Apple Daily shuts down

Apple Daily shut down both its print and digital operations after authorities froze the assets of the pro-democracy tabloid. The move came after a police raid at their Hong Kong office and has thus made it impossible for the company to pay its staff and vendors. 

Started by Jimmy Lai 26 years ago, the newspaper was unafraid to be openly critical of the Chinese state. Its role as one of Hong Kong’s most vocal defenders won fans, but also contributed to its eventual demise.

Hongkongers queued for hours to buy the final print edition starting as early as 1 am. Apple Daily usually does an 80,000 print run. For their finale, they printed a million. 

Apple Daily also pulled down its social accounts.