Media Council Comments On Paris Massacre
The Media Council of Bermuda commented on this morning’s [Jan 7] horrific events in Paris, France, where a reported 12 people were killed in the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo after the magazine’s offices were stormed by “hooded, black-clad gunmen,” according to a CNN report.
Jeremy Deacon, executive officer of the Bermuda Media Council, said, “This is a cowardly attack on journalists who should be free to operate with freedom of speech.
“Any attack on freedom of the press is an attack on us all. Our sympathies are with the families of those who were cruelly murdered for doing their job.”
Photo posted on Twitter showing crowds gathering in France following the shooting:
According to CNN, “Hooded, black-clad gunmen burst into the office of provocative French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, killing 12 – an attack that could be a game changer, given that the terrorists appeared well-armed, well-coordinated and, since they escaped onto the streets of Paris, capable of striking again.”
“A witness who works in the office opposite the magazine’s told BFMTV that he saw two hooded men, dressed in black, enter the building heavily armed.”
“We then heard them open fire inside, with many shots,” he told the channel. “We were all evacuated to the roof. After several minutes, the men fled, after having continued firing in the middle of the street.”
“Prime Minister Manuel Valls raised France’s security to its highest level — “attack alert” — after the Charlie Hebdo bloodshed.
“That means there will be reinforced security at media company offices, major stores, religious centers and on public transport, Valls’ office said in a statement.”
“All available forces have been mobilized, with civil and military reinforcements as part of this plan. In addition, regional authorities have been instructed to step up their vigilance.”
U.S. President Barack Obama said the “attack on journalists [and] the free press…underscores the degree to which these terrorists fear freedom.” And Hollande, the French President, vowed that “no barbarous act will ever extinguish freedom of the press.”
Tragic