Click here to download video In a rare act of defiance against strict government censorship laws in China, demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest the lack of free press in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. The protests started after journalists from the Southern Weekly newspaper went on strike when censors forced them to run a New Year's Day tribute to the Communist Party instead of a planned editorial calling for political reforms. Local people came to support them, laying chrysanthemums at the paper's headquarters to symbolize the death of free speech. "This act of suppressing the freedom of the press should be changed. Otherwise, it's going to be detrimental to the public interests of knowing the facts," said one demonstrator. In response, the communist-run Global Times newspaper said that no media outlet can receive special political status. However, for the time being the protests seemed to have succeeded, as Communist Party officials offered to let the journalists avoid punishment if they called off the strike, and to give the paper more editorial freedom.

---

Quote "This act of suppressing the freedom of the press should be changed. Otherwise, it's going to be detrimental to the public interests of knowing the facts," Man, Guangzhou, China. Warm up questions 1. What does it mean to have "freedom of speech"? 2. What kind of government does China have? 3. What does it mean to go on strike? Discussion questions 1. Do you think the government ever has the right to censor the work of journalists? 2. Are there limits to free speech? 3. Why do you think the Chinese government is so intent on censoring the work of journalists?