NUJ holds Charlie Hebdo remembrance ceremony

A gathering of Irish media and members of the public took place in the grounds of Dublin Castle on Saturday to remember those killed in the attack on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The ceremony, organised by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) included a minute’s silence where members of the crowd held up posters which read “Je suis Charlie.”

Tánaiste Joan Burton, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Communications Alex White, Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke and Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan were among those in attendance.

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Je Suis Charlie signs held up during a minute silence at a gathering in Dublin Castle on Saturday. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

The names of the nine journalists, two police officers and caretaker murdered during the attacks were read out by members of the French community in Ireland.

French ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault thanked the Irish people for their “fantastic” show of solidarity and support following the attacks.

“This expression of sympathy shows that we all are here ready to stand in support, in defence of freedom and in defence of journalists who, each minute of their life, stand for freedom.”

Mr Thébault said the terrorists had failed in their attempts to defeat liberty.

“You are a bright light of hope, you are our friends and together we are defending our values. This is what unites us, now and in the future,” he said.

Irish NUJ secretary Seamus Dooley said it was fitting that the ceremony was held in the shadow of the Chester Beatty Library, “a symbol of creativity and multiculturalism where the jewel in the crown is the 6,000 piece Islamic collective, which reflects the true spirit of Islam.”

“We must take inspiration from Samuel Beckett whose words remind us that, as defenders of freedom and the right to freedom of expression we cannot be intimidated or shrink from the challenges we face: ‘I must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’”

Irish NUJ Chairman Gerry Curran condemned the killings and spoke of the attacks on reporters all over the world who face danger while carrying out their job.

“In the past two decades 2,000 media workers, 900 of whom were journalists died as a result of work related incidents. Only 30 per cent died as a result of being caught in cross fire or in a war or crisis zone. 70 per cent or over 600 journalists have been targeted and murdered in the past twenty years. Many more have been seriously threatened, injured or tortured. We live in a world where journalists are the prey of those who do not want their activities reported.”

“Journalists died for drawing lines on paper. Police officers died protecting the thin blue line between society and lawlessness,” he said.

The event was attended by many newspaper and media outlet editors including Irish Times editor Kevin O'Sullivan, Irish Times Foreign Policy Editor Paddy Smyth, INM Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae, newly-appointed Irish Independent editor Fionnan Sheahan and Sebastian Hamilton, Editor in Chief of the Irish Daily Mail, as well as several representatives of RTÉ and TV3.

Futher events to mourn the dead and support freedom of speech have been organised. There will be a walk in Dublin on Sunday at noon, starting at the Spire on O'Connell Street, which the French Ambassador will attend, as well as further events in Cork (noon, Daunt Square) and Galway (noon, Spanish Arch).