Hundreds of Britons queue overnight to buy first copies of satirical weekly to be published since last week’s Paris attacks

Hundreds of people queued for hours outside newsagents and bookshops across the UK to buy copies of the first issue of Charlie Hebdo to be published since last week’s deadly shootings in Paris.

Demand has been high for the satirical magazine’s latest issue, which carries a front-cover cartoon of a crying prophet Muhammad, in the wake of last week’s attack at its offices in which 12 people died.

More than 1,000 copies are believed to have been made available in the UK, as newsagents braced themselves for a rush.

About 200 people were queuing from the early hours of Friday morning outside the French Bookshop in South Kensington, London, which limited sales of Charlie Hebdo to one copy for each customer.

Some people started waiting outside the shop shortly after midnight, including Moritz Riewoldt, from Germany, who arrived at 12.20am and was one of the first to emerge with the magazine shortly after 8.15am.

The 22-year-old, who lives in south-west London, said: “It’s important to be here to support the freedom of the press. I know what it can mean to a country. “If you’re scared of saying what you think, I know where this can lead. It’s part of history and you can probably tell your grandchildren that. It’s a stick-up to the terrorists to say you’re not going to get us down this easily and make a stand.”

Zwan Mohmed, a first-year international relations and history student at the London School of Economics who was waiting for a copy outside La Page, said: “I want to show my solidarity to free speech and I heard the money goes to the victims’ families”.

Lea Gandon, who works in La Page, another bookshop serving the ex-pat community around the French embassy in South Kensington, told the Guardian later on Friday morning: “We had 300 magazines come today and we’ve sold 220 of them. The rest are reserved by other customers who will collect them later.”

She described the scene when she arrived for work at La Page: “There were so many people that I was worried about how I was going to get in.” To avoid a human log-jam in their small shop, La Page let people in 10 at a time to buy a copy of the ‘survivors’ issue. She added: “I’m very happy that so many people want to buy a copy but sorry to disappoint so many of them.”

Jean Chereau was one of La Page’s customers to reserve a copy in advance, and collected the magazine at midday. “I’m very happy to have got one but I’m buying it more to show support for those people that died than for the cartoons inside. I knew about Charlie Hebdo before the attack and I can understand why some people don’t like it.” He added: “I thought the terrorist attack was horrific and, from watching the video, it was awful seeing how easy it was for them to get out of the car and just shoot people.”

A reported 5m copies of the magazine are being printed, its largest-ever run, with translations into English, Spanish and Arabic, and versions available in the UK, Italy and Turkey.

The first batch of about 500,000 copies sold out quickly and several have appeared on eBay attracting four-figure bids, well in excess of the modest €3 cover price.

Wholesalers Smiths News, Comag and Menzies Distribution say they will be distributing the issue.

Arnaud Isnard, 29, originally from Marseille but who now lives in Cambridge, began queuing for the magazine at 5am. He said: “In France, I used to read Charlie Hebdo and it’s a publication I really like. After what happened in Paris, I really wanted to have a read and see how they went through this terrible event.

“What happened in France was enough to show that if you want to kill people, it’s not going to have the right impact. It’s only going to antagonise people and make people feel more united.”

Nickolay, a recent Polish film graduate was waiting patiently in line for a copy at Good News on Berwick Street in Soho. When asked what motivated him to get up so early, he said: “It’s a really rare thing for something like this to happen. I got the 5.27am train just to make sure I got a copy.”

His wait may have been in vain. When the Guardian visited Good News and other newsagents in Soho and Covent Garden later on Friday morning they reported not getting any copies at all, with one, who asked not to be named, saying: “We didn’t get any today and we’re not going to get any at all. People have been asking for them all morning, it’s getting really annoying now. I think about 1,000 copies arrived in the UK but I don’t know which shops have them.”

Caty Acha, 29, originally from Spain but lives in south London, said: “I wanted to support the magazine and the cartoonists to show that freedom of speech is more important than anything else.

“It’s a part of history and I want to keep it for future generations and to remember what shouldn’t happen again. This front page isn’t really offensive. One of the policemen was Muslim and he was protecting freedom of speech and other people’s lives.”

Student Emmanuel Akinwotu, 25, from south London, said: “I’m not here out of any exuberant solidarity with the magazine but I do think what happened to them was tragic and I think it’s great they can republish again.

“I think a lot of the things they publish tinker on racism and Islamophobia … but at the same time I think they have a right to do what they do. They certainly shouldn’t be gunned down for cartoons.”

Interest in the new edition of Charlie Hebdo prompted more than 50 British Muslim leaders to appeal for calm from Muslims in response to the front-cover cartoon.

In an open letter, the imams and religious leaders wrote: “With dignified nobility we must be restrained, as the Qur’an says ‘And when the ignorant speak to them, they say words of peace’. Most Muslims will inevitably be hurt, offended and upset by the republication of the cartoons. But our reaction must be a reflection of the teachings of the gentle and merciful character of the prophet (peace be upon him).

“Enduring patience, tolerance, gentleness and mercy, as was the character of our beloved prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best and immediate way to respond.”