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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\"The Nanfang (Southern) Media Group is relatively willing to speak the truth in China so we need to stand up for its courage and support it now,\" Ao Jiayang, a young worker for a non-governmental organization, told Reuters. <\/p>\n
\"We hope that through this we can fight for media freedom in China,\" Ao said. \"Today's turnout reflects that more and more people in China have a civic consciousness.\" <\/p>\n
PETITIONS <\/p>\n
On Sunday night, the Southern Weekly's official microblog denied that the removal of the New Year letter was due to censorship, saying the \"online rumors were false\". <\/p>\n
Many Southern Weekly journalists distanced themselves from the statement and said the blog had been taken over by management, and pledged to go on strike the next day. <\/p>\n
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