Charlie Hebdo new issue might be scarce in Canada

Long lines for the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo were a familiar sight in France this week, but finding a copy in Canada is a tougher task. AP

The Canadian Press
About 100 people who lined up outside a Montreal store this morning hoping to pick up Charlie Hebdo were left disappointed when only a handful of copies were delivered.

A downtown outlet of the Maison de la Presse Internationale was expected to receive 40 copies of the French satirical magazine but ended up with only five.

A clerk at the store tells The Canadian Press the copies were to be kept for ”his bosses.”

Some of the people in the lineup expressed frustration at the scarcity of the newspaper.

The magazine’s Canadian distributor said there wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to meet demand across the country.

LMPI says 1,500 copies will be available in 135 Canadian stores.

While the vast majority of the copies will be carried by Quebec retailers, the magazine will also be available at a handful of stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Some stores say their limited number of copies have already been spoken for by people who have reserved them ahead of time.

However, Charlie Hebdo is also making the issue available through its iPhone and Android apps. The issue is on sale for $3.49 through the Apple App Store and $4.24 through Google Play.

The issue, which has been selling out in France, is the first one produced since a pair of Islamic extremists opened fire at the magazine’s Paris offices, killing 12 people.

The cover of the latest issue shows a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad weeping and holding a sign reading “I Am Charlie” with the words “All Is Forgiven” above him.

Customers lined up again in Paris on Thursday to try to get copies. Even though it had a special increased print run of five million copies, it sold out before dawn for a second straight day.

Some Muslims, who believe their faith forbids depictions of Muhammad, reacted with dismay or anger at the new cover. In Pakistan, lawmakers marched outside parliament on Thursday to protest the publication.

A leader of Yemen’s al-Qaida branch officially claimed responsibility for the attacks at Charlie Hebdo, saying in a video the slayings were in “vengeance for the prophet.” But U.S. and French intelligence officials lean toward an assessment that the Paris terror attacks were inspired by al-Qaida but not directly supervised by the group.