Hong Kong Journalists Association
When the closure was announced, the Hong Kong Journalists Association, headed by Jack Spackman, organised a sit-in at the "China Mail" offices to protest the number of journalists being sacked, some after many years' service, with no compensation. This was the first protest of its kind in Hong Kong to protect the rights of workers. Most of the European journalists and some of the local Chinese journalists were moved to the "South China Morning Post" (including Mail editor Alfred Cunningham) which owned 80% of the "China Mail" or managed to obtain employment on other publications.