As France respects a national day of mourning following the attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo yesterday (Wednesday), thousands take to Twitter to unite against the tragedy using the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie.
Translating as ‘I am Charlie’ in English, the hashtag is now the number one trend in the UK and France.
The attack, which has been likened with those of September 11 2001, has prompted the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) to brand the violence an “attempt to assassinate the free press”.
Private Eye editor Ian Hislop said he was “appalled and shocked” at the attack, calling it “a murderous attack on free speech in the heart of Europe”.
It is known that 12 people have died in the shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office. Among the dead include four of the most famous cartoonists in France.
Really? I could have sworn the direct translation is “I am Charlie”, but my French is a little rusty. Perhaps you could have picked up on the angle that one of the reasons it trended (and still is apparently), was the response from cartoonists across the world? I’d argue that a stunning story like this deserves a little more attention and analysis than you’ve given it here.
Hi Craig, sorry for the loose translation. I was never very good at French, thanks for bringing it to my attention! The root of the story was that event consumed social, and I agree that it deserves a wider analysis. Perhaps I will form a more detailed insight piece to do it justice!