A group of journalists carry an empty coffin through the streets of the city of Oaxaca on Friday, February 18, during a demonstration against the murder of journalists in Mexico.
Journalists involved in the protests marched into Oaxaca’s cathedral holding up posters reading “No More Violence Against Journalists,” and “You Can’t Kill Truth By Killing Journalists.”
Pedro Matias, one of the journalists who participated, voiced his concern.
“This silent scream is to say look at us and listen to us, because we are sick of being ignored and killed by this government and all other governments. They want to silence the press, but are actually trying to silence the public,” said Matias.
A photo of Herber Lopez, the fifth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year, was taped to the coffin.
Lopez, the director of the online news website Noticias WEB, was shot dead in his office in Salina Cruz on February 10.
Lopez’s murder follows four other journalists who were killed in January.
“This shouldn’t have happened. Information is a right and life is also a right. They deprived them of two rights, the right to voice and the right to life. We shouldn’t be on the streets like this; we should be doing our job, but here we are, as a press crew,” Jarquin explained.
On January 31, Roberto Toledo, a cameraman and video editor for the online site Monitor Michoacan, was shot by several assailants while preparing to conduct an interview in Zitacuaro, Michoacan.
In the border city of Tijuana, criminal photographer Margarito Martinez was shot dead outside his home on January 17.
On January 23, reporter Lourdes Maldonado Lopez was shot dead in his car, also in Tijuana.
Reporter Jose Luis Gamboa was killed in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz in an attack on January 10. [rd/pp]