Press releases and newsletter
An attack on democracy (AFP staff statement)
The staff of Agence France-Presse are shocked and outraged by the barbaric attack against the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris. Our thoughts go out to the victims of this despicable crime against freedom of expression, unprecedented in France, as well as to their families and colleagues. We voice our complete solidarity with Charlie Hebdo and hope our fellow journalists at the publication will be able to continue doing their job.
This atrocious crime has sparked a groundswell of emotion. Despite that, we hope that every media organisation and journalist tasked with covering this tragedy and its fallout in the coming days, will manage to do so with calm and thoroughness – to provide the public with honest, high-quality information.
Those behind this hateful attack on the press, a cornerstone of our democracy, seek to destabilise and divide our society by spreading misinformation, and whipping up hatred between communities.
We refuse to play into their hands.
Signatories: The AFP unions (all categories) CGT, CFDT, SNJ, FO, SUD, CFE-CGC, and the AFP Journalists’ Society (SDJ).