23/8/25
Following the recent killing of five Al Jazeera staff and a freelance photojournalist by Israeli forces in Gaza, journalists held a vigil outside 10 Downing Street in London – part of vigils and protests being staged by members of the National Union of Journalists across the UK and Ireland.
Penny Quinton, chair of London Freelance Branch, said: “ We once again reiterate our call for the UK government, who claim to be committed to press freedom, to exert serious pressure to protect journalists, uphold international law and support an investigation by the international criminal court into the blatant targeting of journalists and media.” She said the fact that the Israeli military openly admits to these atrocities, brought into sharp focus the need for international action to end this impunity.
In remarks directed at the UK government she demanded clarification of what action it would be taking to enable Palestinian journalists in Gaza to continue reporting. “Specifically, what steps your government will be taking to ensure that surviving Palestinian journalists in Gaza, alongside the rest of the population, have immediate, safe access to food and water and necessary equipment.”
Free access for journalists
She also asked what the UK government would do to ensure that non-Palestinian journalists were able to enter Gaza to report alongside their Palestinian colleagues and be able to report freely and independently and not be required to be embedded or otherwise under supervision. She demanded to know what the government would do to support an investigation by the international criminal court into the blatant targeting of journalists and media workers by Israeli forces and how it planned to mark the international day to end impunity for crimes against journalists, a United Nations International Day observed annually on the second of November to spotlight the criminally high level of impunity for crimes committed against journalists worldwide.
Her comments were echoed by the Parliamentary MP Mr, John McDonell, who said:
“We must be absolutely clear that the Israeli Defence Force has for decades specifically targeted journalists and it’s obvious why. They do not want the truth to be known.” He joined calls on the British government to take concrete action to ensure the safety of journalists and peace and justice for the Palestinian people.
NUJ General Secretary Laura Davidson, said “ I’m here like all of you to show solidarity with our journalist colleagues targeted and killed by the Israeli military and those who died alongside them and to remember all those journalists who have been killed whilst carrying out their work in this most deadly of conflicts. We owe a collective debt to those reporting from Gaza in the most horrendous of circumstances.
“They are representing our profession, that commitment to reporting what is happening on the ground, whatever the cost. And they have paid the price. They are the eyes and the years of the world on the ground. We are here together calling for an independent investigation into the crime of killing journalists. We are renewing our call for international media access to Gaza with urgency. It cannot be acceptable for remaining local journalists to carry this burden alone. We are here calling for a UN convention specifically on the safety of journalists as a global right and expectation.
Deadliest war for journalists
“We’ve received messages back that it makes a difference on the ground knowing that fellow professionals are standing together in support and saying no to the murder of journalists.”
Those at the vigil were handed a poster each displaying the name of one of the close to two hundred journalists killed in Gaza. There was also a symbolic Muslim burial ceremony for them.
According to the International Federation of Journalists at least 195 journalists and media workers – including 181 Palestinians – have been killed since 7 October 2023, making this the deadliest war for the profession in recent history.
