Solidariteitsmars
This new year could not have been started worse. When the freedom of expression is violated by the will of a few extremists who felt offended by comic strips published long ago in 2006, all the world should feel outraged.
The same have felt yesterday many people gathered for a pacific march from the French embassy towards Dam square.
People of many nationalities and different religions, even policemen, were walking silently in the Vijzelstraat, big arterial road which seldom I walked through slowly enough to pay attention to buildings' facades.
Most of the people was holding a pen or pencil in their hands. Some of them were holding banners: je suis Charlie.
Reached Dam square, a Dutch Islamic woman introduced the prime minister and the mayor of Amsterdam and another woman. Everyone expressed the sorrow and outrage for what happened in Paris.
‘We are standing here because violence should never win over respect and tolerance,’
‘However different we are, we are united in the knowledge that our democracy is a rich and vulnerable thing that we need to defend together.’
Amsterdam is one of the most liberal city in the world and from here, the seeds of freedom on every possible level, had spread everywhere else, defining the main feature of the western culture.
It is striking to me that the message of defending freedom comes from here. I was positively impressed to see all those people caring to show their support.
As i heard from an interview, Stéphane Charbonnier, publishing director killed in the carnage:
Without freedom of speech we are not humans, we are as sheeps.
What is really scary it is that the terrorists managed to stop that magazine. Whenever would they be able to create new issues, without the contributions of the victims, Charlie Hebdo would be something else, something different.
What is akward is that the satirical cartoonist job is to be considered as dangerous as doing journalism in a war country. This shows once again that images are much stronger than words.
The same have felt yesterday many people gathered for a pacific march from the French embassy towards Dam square.
People of many nationalities and different religions, even policemen, were walking silently in the Vijzelstraat, big arterial road which seldom I walked through slowly enough to pay attention to buildings' facades.
Most of the people was holding a pen or pencil in their hands. Some of them were holding banners: je suis Charlie.
Reached Dam square, a Dutch Islamic woman introduced the prime minister and the mayor of Amsterdam and another woman. Everyone expressed the sorrow and outrage for what happened in Paris.
‘We are standing here because violence should never win over respect and tolerance,’
‘However different we are, we are united in the knowledge that our democracy is a rich and vulnerable thing that we need to defend together.’
Amsterdam is one of the most liberal city in the world and from here, the seeds of freedom on every possible level, had spread everywhere else, defining the main feature of the western culture.
It is striking to me that the message of defending freedom comes from here. I was positively impressed to see all those people caring to show their support.
As i heard from an interview, Stéphane Charbonnier, publishing director killed in the carnage:
Without freedom of speech we are not humans, we are as sheeps.
What is akward is that the satirical cartoonist job is to be considered as dangerous as doing journalism in a war country. This shows once again that images are much stronger than words.
