The Daily China Took His City. And Now His Father.
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Feb 27, 2026 
Sebastien Lai, a democracy activist and son of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, recounts his father’s rise from refugee to Apple Daily founder. He discusses the 2019 protests, the National Security Law’s crackdown, his choice to campaign from abroad, and the personal toll of his father’s arrest and sentencing.
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Printing Press Memory Made Journalism Real
- Sebastien Lai recalls childhood visits to Apple Daily's printing presses where his hands got black with ink, making journalism feel tangible.
- The memory of standing atop noisy machines at age eight tied his father Jimmy Lai's work to family life and identity.
Hyde Park Moment Defined Personal Freedom
- Sebastien describes a sunny day in Hyde Park when Jimmy Lai sang Ave Maria loudly, embodying personal freedom.
- The image taught Sebastien what freedom looked like: joy, public presence, and refusal to hide despite risk.
Umbrella Protests Marked The Erosion Of Freedoms
- Sebastien pinpoints 2014 Umbrella protests as when Hong Kong's promised freedoms began eroding, marked by police brutality and new social contract breakdown.
- He saw Jimmy Lai repeatedly at the front lines getting tear gassed yet returning to speak, signaling escalating risk.