Hundreds of Hong Kongers lined up on Thursday to snag the last print edition of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.

In its final edition, wrapping up a 26-year run, the tabloid said it was a "victim of tyranny."

The final edition of 1 million copies, up from the usual 80,000, was sold out by the morning. The newspaper said it would cease operations after police froze $2.3 million (€1.9 million) in assets, searched its office and arrested five top editors and executives last week.

The outlet had became increasingly outspoken in recent years, earning the ire and attention of authorities. Apple Daily routinely criticized Chinese and Hong Kong officials for limiting the city's freedoms not found in mainland China, and accused them of not following a promise to protect the semi-autonomous territory for 50 years after the 1997 handover from Britain.

Protests focus new attention on newspaper

Focus on the paper increased after a wave of massive protests took hold in 2019, in response to a law that would allow extraditions to mainland China. While the implementation of the extradition law was shelved, protesters continued to take to the streets demanding more security for Hong Kong's autonomy.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's edition of Apple Daily said it would continue operations.

Last year, Beijing implemented a sweeping national security law, which critics say is being used to quash dissent.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Twitter that the law was being used to curb freedom of speech. The forced closure of the newspaper marked a "chilling demonstration of their campaign to silence all opposition voices," he said.

New reach for national security law

While pro-democracy media outlets still exist in Hong Kong, Apple Daily was the only newspaper of its kind left in the city. On Wednesday night, over 100 people stood outside of its offices to show their support, taking photographs and offering words of encouragement.

The arrests leading up to the newspaper's closure were the first time that the national security law had been used against journalists for something they had published. More than 100 people have been arrested under the security legislation, including Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai.

lc/msh (AP, AFP)