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#CrowdFundedAd #LennonWall
#Hongkongers in North America Send Support for #AppleDaily and the Fight for Freedom

A printed Lennon Wall was unfolded in a two-paged advertisement on the newspaper Apple Daily on August 28, 2020. The 2 pages were filled with 190 memo notes voicing support for HongKongers and Apple Daily im the fight for freedom and rights. The advertisement was signed off by "(Hong) Kong Girls in North America".

Source: Apple Daily #Aug28

https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200828/OLNL2VBT3VCIXGYNZLEKM2QLSQ/

#NorthAmerica
#FreeJimmyLai
#Taiwan President #TsaiIngWen: Staying true to my insistence on the value of democracy and freedom, I want to openly voice my support for Mr. Jimmy Lai

In a social media post on December 16, 2020, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen talked about a recent photo of Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital, who was charged with a suspected violation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

In the photo, Lai was being handcuffed and entangled in a metal chain around his waist on his way to court. Tsai said that the photo was "infuriating".

Tsai said, "the Human Rights Day has just passed, but Hong Kong's human rights are still in its butter winter. Staying true to my insistence on the value of democracy and freedom, I want to openly voice my support for Mr. Jimmy Lai. I want to let him know that the whole of Taiwan, and the whole world are watching this scene. It is not Mr. Lai who was humiliated, but Hong Kong's freedom and the rule of law."

Source: Citizen News #Dec16

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/36489/%E8%94%A1%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87-%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1-36489/%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1

#AppleDaily #HumanitarianCrisis #PoliceState #HumanitarianCrisis #JimmyLai #Arrests #PoliticalProsecution
#FirstHand #Jun18
Hongkongers Rush to Support #AppleDaily After Midnight

On the early morning of June 18, 2021, Hongkongers were already queueing up to buy Apple Daily, as a way to show support for the pro-democracy newspaper which has been under attack by the pro-China media, the police and the authorities for 'violating the #NationalSecurityLaw'.

The photos capture the scene in Mongkok at around 2am. Just as newspaper vendors piled up copies of Apple Daily coming fresh out from the printer, pro-democracy citizens and 'yellow' store owners bought copies to stand with the newspaper, its journalists and editors.

After a while, the newspaper has been sold out.

One day ago, 500 police officers raided the newspaper office, confiscating at least 37 computers, taking away journalistic materials and arresting 2 executives and 3 editors including the editor-in-chief.

The newspaper increased their print to 500,000 copies and told Hongkongers "we will press on."

Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30130
#Newspaper
#AppleDaily Arrests Make Headlines Across the World: "Blatant Attack on Journalism", "Silencing All Dissent"

The Hong Kong police arrest of #AppleDaily senior staff on June 17, 2021 has been widely reported by news outlets across the world. 

On June 19, the newspaper's editor-in-chief #RayLaw and #NextDigital CEO #CheungKimHung were mentioned in court for national security charges.

June 20, 2021 marks the 26th anniversary of the establishment of Apple Daily in Hong Kong. It is the only pro-democracy Chinese-language newspaper in print in the city.

===

#Reuters

//Five hundred Hong Kong police officers sifted through reporters’ computers and notebooks at pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily on Thursday, the first case in which authorities have cited media articles as potentially violating the national security law.

“This is a blatant attack on the editorial side of Apple Daily,” Mark Simon, an adviser to Lai who is outside Hong Kong, told Reuters. “They’re arresting the top editorial folks.”

Asked how long he thinks the newspaper can survive, Simon said: “They decide, not us,” referring to authorities.//

Full article:
https://www.reuters.com/article/hongkong-security-apple-daily/update-2-hks-apple-daily-says-police-arrest-five-directors-in-latest-blow-to-tycoon-jimmy-lai-idUSL2N2NZ006

=====

#TheGuardian

//The raids were condemned by journalism and human rights groups.

Steven Butler, Asia program coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the arrests destroyed “any remaining fiction that Hong Kong supports freedom of the press”.

“China, which controls Hong Kong, may be able to eliminate the paper, which it sees as an annoying critic, but only at a steep price to be paid by the people of Hong Kong, who had enjoyed decades of free access to information.”//

Full article:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/17/hong-kong-police-arrest-editor-in-chief-of-apple-daily-newspaper-in-morning-raids

====

#CNN

//Press freedoms are a fundamental right guaranteed by Hong Kong's Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution. But experts have worried about the usage of the national security law, and there have been indications of pressures on other media in the city. 

A recent ranking of worldwide press freedoms, meanwhile, indicates that the environment in Hong Kong has deteriorated. The international watchdog Reporters Without Borders — which qualifies such freedoms based on data on abuse and acts of violence against journalists along with a questionnaire to experts — ranked Hong Kong 80 out of 180 countries for press freedom, down from 18 out of 138 in 2002.//

Full article:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/16/media/apple-daily-arrests-intl-hnk/index.html

=====

#Bloomberg

//“Hong Kong has been left with little free speech under the national security law, which is really aimed at silencing all dissent,” said Victoria Hui, an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. “Beijing has reined in Hong Kong and will continue to take whatever it takes to silence any dissenting voices.”

In a letter to readers on Thursday afternoon, Apple Daily said police officers confiscated a “large number of items,” including the computers of 38 journalists, over the course of a five-hour search of the company’s offices.

The newspaper said it now “faces an unprecedented crackdown by the regime,” but vowed its staff would be “standing firm” despite the growing pressure.

“Hong Kong’s press freedom is now hanging by a thread,” the letter said. “Though we are facing a sweeping clampdown on our publication, the staff of Apple Daily will hold fast to our duties faithfully and press on till the end to see the arrival of dawn.”//

Full article:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-16/hong-kong-arrests-apple-daily-editor-on-security-law-scmp-says

#PressFreedom #PoliceState #Censorship #PoliticalProsecution

Image: Stand News
#WhiteTerror #FrozenAsset
#Reuters: HK’s Pro-democracy Newspaper #AppleDaily to shut within days according to #JimmyLai adviser

//Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily will be forced to shut “in a matter of days” after authorities froze the company’s assets under a national security law, Mark Simon, an adviser to jailed owner Jimmy Lai told Reuters on June 21, 2021.

The closure of Apple Daily would undermine the former British colony's reputation as an open and free society and send a warning to other companies that could be accused of colluding with a foreign country, media advocacy groups said.

Next Digital (0282.HK), publisher of the top-selling 26-year-old newspaper, would hold a board meeting on Monday [June 21, 2021] to discuss how to move forward after its lines of credit were frozen, the adviser, Mark Simon, said.

"Vendors tried to put money into our accounts and were rejected," he said by phone from the United States.

"We thought we'd be able to make it to the end of the month. It's just getting harder and harder. It's essentially a matter of days."

Apple Daily said on Sunday the freezing of its assets had left the liberal newspaper with cash for “a few weeks” for normal operations.”

In May, Reuters reported exclusively that Hong Kong's security chief had sent letters to tycoon Lai and branches of HSBC and Citibank threatening up to seven years' jail for any dealings with the billionaire's accounts in the city...

Authorities are also prosecuting three companies related to Apple Daily for alleged collusion with a foreign country and have frozen HK$18 million ($2.3 million) of their assets...

Simon told Reuters it had now become impossible to conduct banking operations in the global financial hub.

"We can't bank. Some vendors tried to do that as a favour ... and it was rejected."

The newspaper has come under increasing pressure since owner and Beijing critic Lai, who is now in jail, was arrested under the national security law last August and has since had some of his assets frozen...

Simon said some reporters had received threatening phone calls from unknown sources.

"Our staff are now just worried about personal safety," he said...//

Read full article:
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/exclusive-adviser-jailed-hk-tycoon-jimmy-lai-says-apple-daily-shut-within-days-2021-06-21/

Source: Reuters #Jun21

#PoliceState #NationalSecurityLaw #PressFreedom #HongKongMedia #Journalism #PoliticalSuppression #MarkSimon #FreeJimmy

====
Related stories:

[June 17, 2021] HK Police Raids Apple Daily Again and Arrests 3 Editors and 2 Executives

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30130

"We Will Press On": Apple Daily Prints 500,000 Copies Despite Police Raid

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30142

Hongkongers Rush to Support Apple Daily After Midnight

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30140

[June 18, 2021] HK Police Charges Apple Daily Editor-in-chief and #NextDigital CEO with #NationalSecurityLaw

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30149
#SupportAppleDaily #NeverGiveUp
News Anchor Wishes Hongkongers Safe on the Last Night of the #AppleDaily News Broadcast

The parent company of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, #NextDigital, held a board meeting on June 21, 2021 to decide the fate of the newspaper in the face of the Hong Kong government's suppression.

The board past the motion of sending a letter to the Secretary for Security, #JohnLee Ka-chiu to demand a reply on Friday, June 25, 2021--the company asked whether part of the Apple Daily’s funds can be unfrozen for salary payment.

According to sources, many Apple Daily’s employees expect Saturday, June 26, 2021 to be the last publishing day of Apple Daily. There is also sayings that the newsaper could be shut down as soon as on Wednesday.

As for the “21:30 Apple Daily News Broadcast”, it had its last screening on the evening of June 21. The headline inquired the whereabouts of Next Digital.

At the end of the programme, anchor #TseHingYi said that it is a hard way forward and wished everyone safe and sound.

Tse also sent a message to all media workers in Hong Kong, encouraging them to hang on and stand strong.

“Even though our platform is disappearing, Hong Kong journalists will hold onto their posts and defend the truth,” said Tse.

Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/BsvcMNoGHqQ

Source: Stand News; InMedia; Apple Daily #Jun21

https://bit.ly/3gRQMTU

====
Related News:

Arrests, National Security Charges and Frozen Assets: Apple Daily Might Shut Down in 5 Days

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30172

Voices are Disappearing in Face of "Stability and Prosperity"

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30175
#SaveAppleDaily #PressFreedom
The Countdown of HK's Pro-democracy Newspaper: #AppleDaily Stops its English and Finance News

At 11am on June 22, 2021, Apple Daily announced the suspension of its English news.

On the homepage, the newspaper published an article titled "Dear Readers". The newspaper writes:

"This concludes the updates of Apple Daily English. Thank you for your support."

The newspaper has also stopped updating its finance news online after midnight and aired the last episode of the 21:30 news report on June 21.

The 26-year-old top selling pro-democracy newspaper is closing down, after the Hong Kong government made it impossible for the newspaper to operate by freezing its assets, arresting its editors and executives and charging them with #NationalSecurityLaw.

Source: Stand News #Jun22
https://bit.ly/3djUNQj

====
Related News:

News Anchor Wishes Hongkongers Safe
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30177

Former Staff Bids Farewell to the Newspaper
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30179
#Hongkongers
Pro-democracy media chief: “We’ve tried and enjoyed media freedom in the past. We have no regrets.”

#LouiseWong Lai-Sheung, editor-in-chief of the #NextMagazine in Hong Kong wrote an open letter on the magazine’s Facebook on June 23, 2021 to bid farewell to readers.

Wong wrote that the Magazine has gone through many tough times in the past, including deep profit losses in 2016. Back then, vocal media tycoon, #JimmyLai Chee-yin, owner of the Next Magazine “warned” to roll-off the magazine and set a timeline to put pressure on his staff to work hard. Wong wrote, “He knows we are “attached” to the magazine. Not letting it fold is our biggest motivation.”

Wong continued in her letter, it took them 3 years to “remodel it” from traditional magazine to online media when readership and profits gradually picked up and meeting new highs. When subscription model was first put in place in Next Magazine in 2019, they were surprised to acquired over 100,000 subscribers. Despite that the magazine could not turn around its profits, but reduce loss.

Until June 21, “the editorial believes the big era has come to an end.”

Wong expressed in the letter that she is a sentimental person. But she didn’t shed tears. In the office that filled with shocks and anxieties, she told herself to remain calm and get on to an exit plan. Facing those staff who are still hopeful to continue operating the Magazine, she couldn’t help but told them to cut it off. “We’ve tried in the past and enjoyed media freedom. We have no regrets.”

Source: Apple Daily, #Jun23
https://bit.ly/3gVDndz

#SaveAppleDaily #ProtectAppleDaily #Journalism #PressFreedom

====
Related News

National Security Police Arrests News Commentator; Pro-democracy #AppleDaily Will Shut Down In One Day

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30198
#SaveAppleDaily #Hongkongers
Apple Daily Journalist: Hongkongers will not give up, journalists will never give up

Apple Daily local news journalist received flowers from supportive citizens, as he returned to the newspaper office.

Chan has worked for Apple Daily for over 3 years. He said he would miss "the Hong Kong with Apple Daily".

The 26-year-old top-selling pro-democracy newspaper will cease operation under the authorities' suppression. The last edition will be released after midnight on June 24, 2021.

Chan said all his colleagues are very busy and doing their best in their posts until the final moment of the newspaper.

"I also want to continuing my work at Apple Daily and that Next Digital can go on operating," Chan said. "But it is not we can have what we want."

Chan described Apple Daily as a place for media workers to pursue beliefs and ideals. Seeing editors and journalists getting arrested by the Hong Kong police, Chan said he could see the risk of being a journalist and asked fellow media workers and Hongkongers not to give up.

For its last edition, the newspaper will print 1 million copies. Chan reminded fellow Hongkongers, "Do get a copy of Apple Daily tomorrow!"

Source: Stand News; InMedia #Jun23

https://bit.ly/3vKjGuN

====
Related News

National Security Police Arrests News Commentator; Pro-democracy #AppleDaily Will Shut Down In One Day

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30198

#NextMegazine chief: “We’ve tried and enjoyed media freedom in the past. We have no regrets.”

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30201

Apple Daily Staff: "We will all become a sturdy apple tree"

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30205

News Anchor Wishes Hongkongers Safe
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30177

Former Staff Bids Farewell to the Newspaper
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30179
#Hongkongers #NeverGiveUp
Apple Daily Staff: "We will all become a sturdy apple tree"

The following is excerpted from an open letter written by an #AppleDaily staff:

"Dear colleagues at Apple Daily who stay until the last,

Dear fellow Hongkongers,

The perseverence and truth-seeking spirit of Apple Daily has long been seeded in our hearts.

Despite the turbulences of the time that try to disperse us, we have absorbed enough nutrients to grow wherever we are.

We will all become a sturdy apple tree.

I hope we all will never give up. We shall remember all the facts and true happenings. We will not let our present become the past rewritten. We will strengthen and better equip ourselves, so that we will be strong enough to face darkness in the future.

From an Apple Daily Staff"

The image comes from an overseas Hongkongers' group in San Francisco. It writes: "They try to bury us, without knowing that we are seeds."

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30204

Text: Tin Shui Wai Connection #Jun22
Image: San Francisco Hongkongers

https://www.facebook.com/SFHKers/photos/a.117623882943094/548582659847212/

https://publielectoral.lat/tswconnection/2416

#BeWater #AppleTree #PressFreedom #FightforHongKong

====
Related News

National Security Police Arrests News Commentator; Pro-democracy #AppleDaily Will Shut Down In One Day

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30198

Apple Daily Journalist: Hongkongers will not give up, journalists will never give up

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30203

#NextMegazine chief: “We’ve tried and enjoyed media freedom in the past. We have no regrets.”

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30201

News Anchor Wishes Hongkongers Safe
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30177

Former Staff Bids Farewell to the Newspaper
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30179

Staff of Hong Kong's Pro-domocracy Newspaper #AppleDaily and Hongkongers Thank Each Other

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30213
#FirstHand #Jun24
Hongkongers Stay Up Overnight to Buy #AppleDaily for One Last Time

At 2am on Jun 24 in Mongkok, newspaper vendors received the second batch of Apple Daily from the printer.

The first batch with 800 copies were sold out immediately. The second batch was increased to 10,000 copies.

As the copies arrived, journalists and civilians rushed to take picture of the last edition of the pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong.

This will be the last appearance of the 26-year-old top-selling newspaper.

The authorities have been using different means to stop the truth-seeking newspaper from operating, by charging editors and executives with #NationalSecurityLaw and freezing the assets of the newspaper and three connecting companies.

Many see this as an "end" to press freedom and local culture that Hongkongers have enjoyed.

The headline of the last edition writes: "Hongkongers bid farewell in rain: 'We Support Apple Daily til the End'."

#SupportAppleDaily #LastDay #BeWater #PressFreedom #Hongkongers