Scuffles broke out during protests outside of Southern Weekly, a Guangzhou newspaper that has been protesting against government censorship. The fights broke out when supporters of the paper skirmished with a group of leftists who arrived holding portraits of Chairman Mao and signs that described the weekly as “a traitor newspaper.” One pro–press freedom protester said, “These people [leftists] are paid agitators of the government, twisting the truth with propaganda. We had to do something about it.” Police officers intervened, but the protests were allowed to go on. The paper is still scheduled to be published on Thursday, though editors of other Southern Media Group publications may be brought in to take over the issue.
