The Apple daily painful farewell: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: AFP

1. Thousands of people in Hong Kong rushed to capture a copy of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple daily, which closed its door after 26 years

2. The publication decided to close after charges of breaching national security law leading to a freeze of all company assets.

3. The closure is being seen as the suffocation of the press under the pressure of China.

4. Long queues were seen outside newsstands with people to capture the final copy which was a tribute to its readers with the headline "Hong Kongers bid a painful farewell in the rain".

5. Supporters lit their phone flashlights as a show of unanimity and shouted slogans "don't give up". In response Apple daily staff stood at their balconies, waving flashlights and shouting: "thank you Hong Kong". The last moments were emotional, full of applause, and tears.

6. The Apply daily was a pro-democracy paper. It published 30 articles calling on countries for imposing sanctions on Hong Kong and China since 2019.

7. Last week, police raided the office on charges to breach national security law, arresting senior staff members, and freezing the company assets. On Wednesday, the publication office decides to close the paper.