The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemns the assault against the international march

The PJS strongly condemned the suppression of the march of international federation of journalists towards Qalandia checkpoint by Israeli occupation forces, through intensive use of toxic tearing gas and sound bombs, which caused the injury of the PJS president Nasse Abu Baker, by a tearing gas bomb that targeted his shoulder and caused many others to choke., one of them; the journalist Adriana Hurtado, Colombian member of executive committee of International Federation of Journalists, and the colleague journalist Manal Khamis, PJS board member who needed to be transferred to medical clinic.

PJS has considered the brutal assault against the march, which has been announced before, as an attempt of entering Jerusalem using the international press card and with the participation of the president of IFJ, as a clear aggression against all world’s journalists, a disrespect of all international conventions and treaties, and a clear violation of journalists’ right to work and move freely in all occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem.

PJS confirmed that this assault that has taken place in front of world journalists’ leaders, is an expression of arrogance of occupation and the racism of Israel.

Moreover, PJS confirmed that the targeting of all free voices defending the Palestinian right, and the poor attempt to obstruct journalists to do their duty to uncover the occupation’s crimes against Palestinian people, are clear messages to the world, that violence and power is the only logic that the state of occupation understands and practices.

The PJS stressed that this assault won’t affect the agenda of IFJ meeting and international conference, as well, it won’t obstruct journalists of doing their duties no matter the price is.