Officials with the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and the Committee to Protect Journalists were quick to issue statements Wednesday denouncing the terrorist attack on a magazine in Paris, France.
“[W]hether it was the work of those merely inspired by [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] or those given direct orders doesn’t matter,” said the AAEC, which promotes editorial cartoonists in the U.S.
“Cartoonists and journalists around the world should be permitted to express themselves freely without fear of reprisal. These types of attacks only serve to illustrate how important the free spirit of cartoon commentary is, and how cartoonists make a difference in helping to expose hypocrisy.”
Similarly, a spokesman for the CPJ, which advocates for press freedom across the globe, condemned the attack.
“The attack was a brazen assault on free expression in the heart of Europe. The scale of the violence is appalling. Journalists must now stand together to send the message that such murderous attempts to silence us will not stand,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney.
The attack on Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine with a history of publishing provocative cartoons, was carried out by three individuals believed to have been motivated by Islamic extremists.
At least 10 Charlie Hebdo workers and two Paris policemen were killed and scores of others were injured. One of the policemen was wounded, then shot dead in cold blood as he pleaded for mercy from an assailant.
The shooters fled the scene and remain at large.
