PILSEN — Chicago journalists will hold a vigil Monday night for their colleagues killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
Over 60 journalists have died since Hamas’ attack on Israel Oct. 7 and the ensuing airstrikes by Israel that have leveled much of the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The vast majority of journalists killed are Palestinian, according to the nonprofit. Journalists killed include those working for independent press groups, Hamas- or Hezbollah- affiliated stations, Israeli publications or as freelancers, according to CPJ. A Reuters journalist was killed in southern Lebanon by missiles fired from the direction of Israel, according to the news service.
The Committee to Protect Journalists described the ongoing violence as the deadliest stretch for journalists in over 30 years.
The Chicago vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Chicago Art Department, 1926 S. Halsted St. Chicago-area journalists and the public are welcome to attend, according to a news release.
Organizers plan to read the names of the journalists killed and hold a 70-second moment of silence. The vigil will be capped off with a candlelight memorial for each journalist killed.
The event will “express solidarity with journalists in Gaza who remain steadfast in their duties while trying to survive,” organizers said in the news release. “Silence is not an option.”
Almost 19,000 people have died since the war began, the vast majority Palestinian, according to the Associated Press. The ground war and Israeli airstrikes have resumed after a ceasefire led to an exchange of hostages, according to the AP.
Ninety-four journalists have been killed and 400 have been imprisoned worldwide in 2023, according to a new report from International Federation of Journalists.
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