In Hong Kong, the opposition newspaper “Apple Daily” was bid farewell, which was closed by the authorities

He’s been waiting in line for several hours, Thursday, June 24, for the latest edition ofApple DailySometimes even before it came out of the press, Hong Kong residents showed their deep attachment to this rude and willingly controversial newspaper, which the authorities shut down in the name of the new national security law. In twenty-six years, with an increasingly assertive activity, the newspaper has undoubtedly established itself in the heart of Hong Kong society, particularly among the younger and more popular classes. For its readers,Apple Daily It was never the most serious or the most reliable newspaper, but it will remain “the only newspaper that really told the truth”.

Worshipers with the title also went to the newspaper’s headquarters in Tseung Kwan O, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, from Wednesday night to Thursday, to lay flowers in front of the gates and express their support for the final journalists still there. . The latter replied to them from the roof of the building or its windows by waving goodbye and their phones, as if they were on a ship leaving the city, taking with it the freedom of tone and boldness whichApple Daily embodied. It is the picture of these farewells entitled “Without Remorse” which appears on “One” of the last issue.

Recognizable by a red apple on a turquoise background and its colorful pages lined with pictures and drawings, the arrival of Apple Daily In 1995 he revolutionized the press sector. The title never missed an opportunity to trap the government and police, but also in the pages of scandal, the stars and other city lords. He brought down some ministers, but above all he accompanied all the major protest movements, especially in 2003, 2014 and 2019, and he affirmed more and more openly his deep disapproval of the Chinese Communist Party.

last stand

Started by businessman Jimmy Lai, currently imprisoned, The Apple Daily It has therefore finally been out of business, under pressure from the authorities who have noticeably frozen their accounts, less than a year after the adoption of the National Security Law by Beijing, on June 30, 2020, to cancel any draconian challenge in the Special Administrative Region. However, its residents have always believed that their fundamental freedoms – particularly freedom of speech and freedom of the press – are guaranteed to them, at least until 2047, by the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, under the “one country, two systems” formula.

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