By BosNewsLife News Center
BRUSSELS/PARIS/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)– Over 200 Brussels-based journalists and supporters observed a minute of silence at the International Press Centre for those killed in the Charlie Hebdo paper shooting in Paris.
At 11.00 am local time they remembered the dozen victims, most of them journalists who had dare to question Islamist extremism with controversial Propher Mohammed cartoons and texts.
“Today, we are all Charlie in our thoughts but, as journalists, we very much share the reason for which they were targeted. Those bullets were also meant for all of us who stand up for press freedom,” said Beth Costa, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) before the minute of silence was observed.
Fellow journalists and participants held the “Je Suis Charlie” or “I am Charlie” signs in support of the Charlie Hebdo journalists, media workers and victims killed in Wednesday’s shooting. Christian online news agency BosNewsLife was among media using the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie on the Twitter website to post Tweets on the rapidly developing story.
It also posted cartoons in support of press freedom, said its founder, Stefan J. Bos.
DOZEN KILLED
Seven journalists and three media workers were murdered, along with two other victims, officials said.
Ricardo Gutiérrez, general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), read out the names of the twelve victims.
They were identified as Bernard Verlhac (known as Tignous), cartoonist, Bernard Maris (known as Uncle Bernard), economist and cartoonist, Elsa Cayat, a psychoanalyst and essayist, Georges Wolinski, cartoonist, Jean Cabut (known as Cabu), cartoonist, Moustapha Ourrad, copy editor, Philippe Honoré (known as Honoré), cartoonist, Stephane Charbonnier (known as Charb), cartoonist, Franck Brinsolaro, a private body guard and media worker, Michel Renaud, a visitor and former director to the Mayor Clermont’s office, Frédéric Boisseau, janitor, and Ahmed Merabet, a police officer.
“We need to stand together to show the perpetrators that we will not give in and we will continue our job to tell the truth,” Gutiérrez said. “I am impressed by the spontaneous mobilisation of civil society.
JOURNALISTS COMMITMENT
“I am impressed by the commitment of journalists who did not give in to fear and hatred. This is the best response to such a horrific act of terror,” he added.
“We, as journalists, stand together to show our commitment to freedom. The freedom of all citizens is at stake,not just the freedom of the press,” said François Ryckmans, President of the Belgian Association of Journalists (AJP).
IFJ and EFJ affiliates across the world have sent in solidarity messages to express their condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
The IFJ, EFJ and their French affiliates (SNJ, SNJ-CGT and CFDT) began holding a ceremony in front of the office of Charlie Hebdo later Thursday, January 8, they told BosNewsLife in statements.
