By James Pomfret
GUANGZHOU, China
(Reuters) – Hundreds of supporters of one of China’s most liberal newspapers demonstrated outside its headquarters on Monday, backing a strike by journalists against interference by the provincial propaganda chief.
The rare anti-censorship protest happened in Guangzhou, capital of wealthy Guangdong, China’s most liberal province and birthplace of the reforms, begun three decades ago, that propelled China to become the world’s second-largest economy.
The outcry began late last week when reporters at the influential Southern Weekly newspaper accused censors of replacing an original New Year’s letter to readers that called for a constitutional government with another piece lauding the party’s achievements.
Police allowed the demonstration, suggesting the Guangdong government, led by newly appointed Hu Chunhua, a rising political star, may want to tread carefully in tackling public discontent over censorship.
The protesters, many of them youths, held signs with slogans such as “Freedom of expression is not a crime,” and “Chinese people want freedom”. Others made speeches defending the paper an laid chrysanthemums, a flower used in Chinese funerals, to symbolically mourn the death of press freedom.
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“an laid chrysanthemums, a flower used in Chinese funerals, to symbolically mourn the death of press freedom. ” —– Birth of press freedom, more like.—–Granny
The time has come and those who have been oppressed will stand up and say ” Enough “