Photo: Hong Kong

In June, police stormed the offices of Apple Daily, one of the last pro-democracy newspapers and an unapologetic defender of Hong Kong's autonomy.

When Hong Kong passed its controversial national security law in June 2020, opponents warned that it would lead to censorship of voices critical of China's Communist government, which sought to bring the semi-autonomous city back under its control. Those fears were vindicated in mid-June, when police stormed the offices of Apple Daily, one of the last pro-democracy newspapers and an unapologetic defender of Hong Kong's autonomy.

Hundreds of Hong Kong police officers raided the paper's offices, arresting the editor in chief, opinion writers, and executives, along with employees of Apple Daily's parent company, Next Digital. When the publication announced that it was closing due to staff safety concerns and an inability to pay salaries after the government froze its bank accounts, Hongkongers lined up at newsstands early on June 24 to buy one last edition of the newspaper that had long helped keep them entertained, informed, and free.