Charlie Hebdo Magazine Earns Thousands More Readers, Sells Out First Magazine Since Paris, France Attack
The French public further underlined its support for Charlie Hebdo by picking up all 700,000 copies of the satirical magazine attacked last week by Islamist militants. The publication's latest issue, offered at 27,000 newsstands across the country, sold out within minutes.
Paris kiosk owner Eric said his stand on Boulevard de Montparnasse was besieged by customers demanding the magazine, the New York Daily News reported.
"I sold fifteen copies today," he said. "I could have sold a hundred."
Armed terrorists entered Charlie Hebdo's Paris newsroom on Jan. 7 and opened fire. In their rampage, they killed 12 people, including editor Stéphane Charbonnier, seven of the magazine's employees and two police officers. Eleven individuals were also wounded in the attack.
In massive protests across France that culminated in a Sunday march attended by various heads of state and government, the country rallied against what many perceive as a direct threat to its tradition of secularism and free speech.
Charlie Hebdo, known for its irreverent cartoons that often lampoon religious figures, announced in the wake of the massacre it would dramatically up its usual circulation of about 60,000; the cover of its first issue released after the attack features a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad under the headline, "All is forgiven."
Retired school teacher Monique Cornetto said she was buying a copy of the magazine to underline freedom of speech is sacred.
"I used to buy it from time to time," she said. "Now, I'm going to subscribe. I want to support them. It's so horrible what happened. Everybody is deeply upset about the barbarity."
Surviving employees, who had moved into borrowed offices as their newsroom became a crime scene, published 5 million copies in several languages, including English, according to NBC News.
In the United States, readers can purchase digital versions online, and the print edition may soon become available in a number of stores. The 16-page special edition consists of 57 cartoons.
"They tried to kill Charlie Hebdo, but they made it the most famous newspaper in the world," said Caroline Fourest, one of the magazine's editors. "How stupid they are!"
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