Statement from the Women's Media Center on Charlie Hebdo

The Women’s Media Center strongly condemns the cowardly attack on the journalists of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris earlier today.

Our thoughts go out to the family and loved ones of the victims of this violent crime. 

We salute the bravery of Stephane Charbonnier, Bernard Maris, Jean Cabu, Georges Wolinski, Bernard Verlhac and their colleagues who continued their work even though their office had been previously fire bombed and despite continued death threats.

Many journalists risk their lives to ensure the free flow of information and without them the world would be more dangerous and insular.  We #standwithCharlie in support of the right of journalists and citizens to voice their opinions and report the world as they see it.  

"The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law." -- Article 11, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.