Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai swarmed by crowd after release on bail
'Thank you for the Grace of God, your support!' he wrote
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Crowds swarmed Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy activist Jimmy Lai after he was released on bail following his Monday arrest.
Authorities arrested Lai, the founder of Hong Kong media company Next Digital, plus 10 others, including pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, on Monday for "colluding with foreign powers," activist Samuel Chu tweeted at the time.
Reporters flocked to Lai and his security after his release to capture the moment on camera.
"Thank you for the Grace of God, your support!" Lai tweeted on Tuesday.
Lai's newspaper, the Apple Daily, tweeted that the media mogul was back into the office on Tuesday morning and thanked readers for the "support."
Hong Kong authorities "barged into the headquarters of Apple Daily" on Monday "to search and brutally trample on the freedom of the press," Apple Daily reporter Koo Lap wrote in an editorial piece for the newspaper.
He added that the operation has not been completed, and no one knows when the "National Security Law raids" will end. Beijing implemented the law in June to give the Chinese government more control over Hong Kong residents and stifle protests that have taken over the city-state since last summer.
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The law also gives permission for authorities to conduct raids on Hong Kong businesses without search warrants.
"Whatever comes, I will have to meet up to it," Lai said in a May 26 interview with FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo when asked whether he feared arrest.
Media mogul and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying leaves from a police station after being arrested for illegal assembly. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu - RC2H9F9S4IP1
He also said now "is a good time" for the U.S. to push back against China while its economy "is at its worst in the last 30 years" due to the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. He added that the U.S. can lead its retaliation against China by "changing their technology."
"I hope President Trump will do what he says, and President Trump has always been doing what he says. I'm very confident that [the] U.S. administration will do something to save us from this crisis," he said.
The Trump administration has been cracking down on Chinese tech companies in recent weeks and sanctioned a number of Chinese tech employees in July for "facilitating human rights abuses," particularly against Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the country.
China retaliated with sanctions against 11 U.S. lawmakers, including five Republican senators, without specifying their purpose. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the U.S. officials had "performed badly" on issues concerning Hong Kong.