Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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               Chinese Continue Protest Against Media Censorship

   by VOA News

   Chinese protesters have gathered for a second day to show their support
   for one of the country's most outspoken newspapers, which is involved
   in a tense dispute with the government over media censorship.
   A small crowd held signs and chanted slogans Tuesday outside the
   Southern Weekly in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province,
   where some journalists have gone on strike to protest alleged
   government meddling.
   The demonstration, which was smaller than on Monday, became tense when
   some of the demonstrators engaged in heated debates with crowds of
   Communist Party supporters.
   The protesters are calling for the resignation of the provincial
   propaganda chief after censors last week allegedly blocked a New Year's
   editorial urging greater constitutional rights. The article was
   replaced with another praising the party's achievements.
   The open protest against state censorship - the first of its kind in
   years - is seen as a key test for China's incoming leader Xi Jinping,
   who has called for the government to be more open.
   Kerry Brown, who heads the China Studies Center at the University of
   Sydney, says he does not expect Beijing to make any major concessions,
   such as dismissing the provincial propaganda official.
   "If journalists were able to do that in such a key area...then they've
   really got a big scalp. And that will probably give the sniff of blood
   to others," Brown said. "I think if the party does that, it will
   probably be construed as a sign of weakness, and I don't think the
   party will be willing to pay that price at the moment."
   Even though the protests outside the newspaper were relatively small
   Tuesday, a steady stream of Chinese celebrities, journalists and other
   public figures have applied pressure on Beijing by expressing their
   support for the paper in social media.
   In an effort to limit public discussion on the matter, Chinese
   authorities have blocked searches for the name of the paper on the
   country's wildly popular microblogs. But many users were able to bypass
   censors by posting pictures and other cryptic messages that decried
   government censorship.
   The government has so far not responded, and has allowed the protests
   to take place. But an editorial in the state-run Global Times on
   Tuesday said there will be no "surprise ending" to the situation, and
   that China is "unlikely to have an 'absolutely free media' that is
   dreamed of by those activists."
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   a-censorship/1579629.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/chinese-continue-protest-against-media-censorship/1579629.html