Apple Daily staff covered 2019 Hong Kong protests with ‘intention’ of rallying support for movement after Legco riot, court hears

Ex-associate publisher Chan Pui-man says media tycoon Jimmy Lai was worried Legco storming might cause movement to lose support among residents

‘Our work in the next few days will be to enlarge and proliferate these sentiments … become the consensus among residents,’ Lai told Chan in WhatsApp messages

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Protesters broke into the Legco building on July 1, 2019, amid the months-long anti-government demonstrations. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 5:28pm, 7 Feb 2024Updated: 10:33pm, 7 Feb 2024

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s instructions to Apple Daily’s management amid the 2019 anti-government protests led staff to cover the unrest with the “intention” of ensuring the public supported the demonstrators, a former senior executive at the newspaper has said.

Chan Pui-man, a former associate publisher at the now-closed tabloid, also told a court on Wednesday that Lai asked to have his views published about a US trip she believed was aimed at lobbying overseas support to exert pressure on the Hong Kong government.

She was testifying against Lai as an accomplice witness on the 25th day of the national security trial. She earlier pleaded guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces.

Lai is on trial at West Kowloon Court on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and inciting public hatred in the wake of the 2019 protests. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors on Wednesday submitted records of Lai’s WhatsApp exchanges with the paper’s senior management after protesters broke into the Legislative Council building on July 1, 2019.

Apple Daily covered the 2019 disturbances with the intent of rallying support for the movement at founder Jimmy Lai’s direction, the court heard. Photo: Winson Wong

Hundreds of people forced their way into the building after a massive march against a now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed authorities to send individuals to mainland China for trial.