AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): Two French citizens living in New Zealand have called for a public rally today in mourning for the killings at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris and in solirarity for freedom of expression.
Shocked by the assassinations of 10 cartoonists, journalists and media workers at the magazine office and the killing of two police officers trying to protect them on Wednesday, Elise Fournier and Géraldine Clermont have posted an appeal for the Charlie Hebdo rally in Auckland's Aotea Square at 5pm.
On their Facebook page they have posted this declaration: "Following the events at Charlie Hebdo, I not think I am the only French person in New Zealand who is horrified, sad and angry.
"The world, and France, still needs us to fight for freedom.
They have pledged fpor the rally "just a few words, speeches and banners…so that we don’t forget those who've been killed and so that New Zealanders see what’s happening elsewhere.
"Is it because we left [France] that we like it less, or that we like travelling that we should forget our country?
"Who's in?" Almost 500 people have posted positive responses.
In Paris yesterday, several hundred journalists and citizens gathered in front of the editorial office of Charlie Hebdo at the invitation of the three journalist unions affiliated to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European group (EFJ).
Addressing the crowd, Anthony Bellanger, deputy general-secretary of the IFJ said: "We are gathered here to pay tribute to our colleagues in Charlie Hebdo who were killed on Wednesday.
"We must stand up for them and for the entire profession, here in France but also around the world. We have received messages from Asia, Oceania, Africa and America. They are mobilising everywhere to defend freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
"We are all Charlie Hebdo today. "
SNJ general secretary Dominique Pradalié said: “We must remain mobilised” as she praised the work of the colleagues who died while working.
Emmanuel Vire, general secretary of the SNJ-CGT, insisted that the French government had failed to do enough for the satirical weekly and must now do more to help the press.
Isabelle Bordes, deputy general secretary of the CFDT, raised his pencil on behalf of journalists.
Mogens Blicher Bjerregaard, president of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said: "I came to Paris to pay tribute to our French colleagues of Charlie Hebdo. This is a tragedy. To attack the freedom of the press is to attack democracy."
In Sydney, the IFJ Asia-Pacific branch called for journalists to hold a minute's silence in memory of those lost in this "tragic and senseless killing" at 3pm today.
In Wellington last night, about 100 people gathered in front of the French Embassy to show solidarity for Charlie Hebdo.
#JeSuisCharlie
Charlie Hebdo rally in Auckland
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