Apple Daily increases print copies to 500,000 after second police raid

After five directors were accused of foreign collusion, Apple Daily has declared that it will continue to publishing its newspapers today with 500,00 copies in circulation. According to media reports this is six times the usual number of print copies is around 80,000. In fact, the paper has decided to devote eight pages to the incident, during which the editor-in-chief, publisher and three other executives were arrested. According to Channel News Asia, this spike in print copies was also done when media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested in August last year. 

In an open letter, Apple Daily said its the staff "is standing firm." Yesterday, the police said that the publication of about 30 articles were entered as evidence of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and external elements. According to HK01, the police demanded Apple Daily to remove the articles involved within a designated period. According to reports, the HK$18 million worth of assets from Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited are currently on freeze.

Since the news broke, the US government denounced the arrest and called for an immediate release of five arrestees. In August 2020, the police raided the headquarters of Apple Daily for the first time who could be seen looking through piles of materials and papers including on journalists' desks and 44 harddisks were confiscated by the police for further investigations in yesterday's raid.

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