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Charlie Hebdo



France clamours for Charlie Hebdo as news kiosks sell out









Seven days after massacre of staff at the satirical weekly, millions queue to snap up copy of special ‘survivors’ edition














People queue at a newspaper kiosk in Paris to get their copies of Charlie Hebdo. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe




Kim Willsher in Paris and 
Matthew Weaver


Wednesday 14 January 2015 14.39 EST







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As Chérif and Said Kouachi fled the scene of their mass murder last Wednesday, they declared: “We have killed Charlie Hebdo.” Seven days on, the latest edition – number 1,178 – of the satirical magazine appeared as usual despite the murder of its editor and several of its most popular cartoonists. Not only that: it was an instant sellout.
Three million copies came off the presses, a massive and unprecedented print run. It was still not enough. Such was the demand that the publishers ordered an extra 2 million copies, expected to be available during the rest of the week.
Shortly after the newsagents opened on Wednesday morning – and in a matter of minutes in some cases – there was not a single Charlie Hebdo to be had across the country.
In Paris, long queues began forming outside press kiosks from 6am. Soon, hastily scribbled signs stating “Plus de Charlie Hebdo” [No more Charlie Hebdo] were stuck to the magazine racks, and buyers who scuffled and jostled to get a copy were greeted with resigned shakes of the head.
A lucky few with a friendly local newsagent still managed to obtain the magazine. While others were turned away, copies hidden under the counter were surreptitiously handed over and quickly stashed into shopping bags and briefcases like bottles of liquor in prohibition America.
The appearance of the magazine, nicknamed the “survivors’ edition” and produced from the offices of Libération newspaper, was a powerful gesture of defiance from Charlie Hebdo staff who insisted they would work on while still grieving for their lost colleagues.
Despite their shock and tears, those who had survived the massacre or were fortunately absent from last week’s editorial conference were determined the gunmen should not succeed in their avowed aim of killing not only staff, but the magazine itself.
The mass turnout to buy a copy was an equally strong mark of solidarity from a French public outraged not just at the attack on human life in the heart of their capital but at the assault on the freedom of speech and the press.
For these reasons, about 3.7 million people, many carrying Je Suis Charlie placards and banners, poured on to the streets of France at the weekend to march in support of the magazine and mourn the 17 who died: 12 in the Charlie Hebdo attack, a female police officer gunned down by their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly the following day, and four Jewish men killed by Coulibaly at a kosher supermarket on Friday.
“It was incredible. I had a queue of 60 to 70 people waiting for me when I opened,” said a woman working at a newspaper kiosk in Paris. “I’ve never seen anything like it. All my 450 copies were sold out in 15 minutes.”
Jamie Johnson, 21, a language student from Exeter University working in Paris, reported a queue of 400 people snaking around a block in usually quiet streets in the 5th arrondissement by 8am. He said that a woman behind him in the queue shouted: “I am buying a piece of history.”
After he bought his €3 (£2) copy of the magazine, Johnson was immediately offered €10 for it by a man in the queue.
The front cover depicts a weeping prophet Muhammad holding a sign saying “Je suis Charlie” beneath the words “All is forgiven”.
Before last week’s attacks, the magazine struggled along each week selling 60,000 copies. Far from killing Charlie Hebdo, as they hoped, the gunmen, who claimed to be operating for Al-Qaida in the Yemen, appeared to have given the struggling publication a kiss of life.
The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Gérard Biard, said on Tuesday the edition had been made “with joy as well as pain”.
French authorities announced on Wednesday that 54 people had been arrested for hate speech and defending terrorism, among them the controversial comedian, Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala.
Dieudonné, as he is known, who has convictions for anti-semitism and inciting racial hatred, was held in police custody after suggesting on his Facebook page “Je suis Charlie Coulibaly”, a reference to the killer of police officer Clarissa Jean-Philippe, 26, and French Jews Yoav Hattab, 21, Yohan Cohen, 20, Philippe Braham, 40, and François-Michel Saada, 64.
According to the comedian’s lawyers, police arrested him at his home at 7am.
“So we’re in a country of free speech? This morning the government gave a demonstration of it,” David de Stefano, Dieudonné’s lawyer said.
However, Manuel Valls, has promised a crackdown saying : “We must not confuse freedom of opinion and antisemitism, racism and negationism.” None of the 54 people arrested have been linked to the terrorist attacks, the Associated Press reported.
The French president, François Hollande, confirmed reports that had surfaced before last week’s tragedies that France was sending an aircraft carrier to the Middle East to work more closely with the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State militants. After the attacks, Hollande said the situation “justifies the presence of our aircraft carrier”. Coulibaly claimed allegiance to Isis.



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more on this story














Iranian newspaper shut down for showing solidarity with Charlie Hebdo

Mardom-e-Emrooz also has licence suspended over front page depicting George Clooney and words ‘I am Charlie, too’



Published: 19 Jan 2015




Iranian newspaper shut down for showing solidarity with Charlie Hebdo












42% of French people say cartoons that upset Muslims shouldn’t be published

Survey, in wake of Charlie Hebdo attack, also finds 68% feel citizens should be forbidden from returning to France after fighting with Islamist groups abroad



Published: 18 Jan 2015




42% of French people say cartoons that upset Muslims shouldn’t be published












Turkish PM compares Binyamin Netanyahu to Paris attackers

Ahmet Davutoğlu accuses Israeli leader of crimes against humanity and criticises publication of prophet cartoons



Published: 15 Jan 2015




Turkish PM compares Binyamin Netanyahu to Paris attackers












Salman Rushdie on Charlie Hebdo: freedom of speech can only be absolute

Author who faced Iranian death edict over The Satanic Verses expresses anger at vilification of murdered magazine staff



Published: 15 Jan 2015




Salman Rushdie on Charlie Hebdo: freedom of speech can only be absolute














Charlie Hebdo poster burned in protest as Muslim leaders condemn cover




Published: 14 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo poster burned in protest as Muslim leaders condemn cover








Charlie Hebdo: Turkish court orders ban on web pages featuring front cover




Published: 14 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo: Turkish court orders ban on web pages featuring front cover








Muslim leaders appeal for calm as Charlie Hebdo special hits the streets




Published: 14 Jan 2015




Muslim leaders appeal for calm as Charlie Hebdo special hits the streets








Charlie Hebdo print run raised to 5m as copies in France sell out




Published: 14 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo print run raised to 5m as copies in France sell out
















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