'Je Suis Charlie': the Statement that Shook the World
One of the greatest movements that shook the world last year was the statement "Je Suis Charlie" which means "I am Charlie." Social media websites were flooded with hashtags stating #JeSuisCharlie which was posted by artists and journalists.
The trend started after journalists were killed after the terrorists attack in Paris back in January 7, 2015. Millions of journalists gathered and rallied to fight for their freedom of speech.
During his interview with BBC, Joachim Roncin, who works as an art director for a magazine in central Paris at the time of the killing, narrated his experience upon finding out that the Charlie Hebdo magazine office was attacked by terrorists. Though he was in a state of shock, Rocin stated that he was not frightened at all. He was watching the news to get updates on what's happening when he found out that 11 of the Charie Hebdo staff were killed, and five others lost their lives during the 3-day terrorist attack.
As he sat on his desk, he decided to post a slogan on Twitter, which is a black and white illustration which adopts the font of the Charlie Hebdo masthead font with the words "JE SUIS CHARLIE" which then became viral on social media. BBC then reported that his post reached 1.5 million shares on the day of the attack and was used around 6 million times in a span of one week.
During his interview, Rocin stated that, "We all stopped everything, something big was happening. I was deeply shocked, but I wasn't frightened, It was something that I wrote just for me, I didn't buy Charlie Hebdo, but it is part of my youth."
His slogan became a vital role in changing the world in terms of freedom of expression as it shows power in fighting against terrorist. The slogan became a hit as it was able to show unity and build a community of like-minded people that seeks justice in freely expressing their craft.
In addition to what he told BBC, Rocin then added, "We're trying to feel a community; it is very reassuring to be all together whenever there is something horrible happening."
The Charlie Hebdo magazine was founded back in 1970 where in the French magazine would release publications which became famous for mocking prominent figures through the magazine's content. Though the motive of the attacks was unclear as per CNN's report, their cartoon illustrations that disrespected the Prophet Mohammed were known to be one of the motives that triggered the attacks.
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