Croatian Media Workers Protest Against Genocide and Attacks on Journalists

August 29, 2025 – Croatia/Palestine – 

The Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (SNH) and the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND) rallied support from fellow labor organizations and the broader public in a powerful protest against the genocide in Gaza and the targeted killings of over 240 Palestinian journalists. The action drew participants to demonstrate their commitment to truth and media freedom amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.

In their joint statement, the SNH invoked the vital role of unions in responding to grave injustices, insisting that journalists cannot remain silent while such crimes unfold. Maja Sever, SNH’s union leader and the current president of the European Federation of Journalists, emphasized that media professionals hold significant responsibility during wartime. She cautioned that mainstream media’s tendency to downplay or ignore violence against Gaza’s civilian population risks normalizing both the war and ongoing occupation—arguing that neutrality or silence only contributes to the concealment and continuation of the genocide.

Further amplifying this message, SNH and HND warned that the deaths of Palestinian media workers send a chilling message: the truth must not be heard. They condemned the Israeli military’s restrictions on foreign correspondents entering Gaza, asserting that such actions amount to the deliberate silencing of journalists—effectively stifling freedom of expression and the public’s right to information.

This protest in Croatia stands as a significant act of international solidarity by media professionals responding to genocide and the erosion of journalistic safety. By raising their voices, the Croatian press unions not only honored their fallen Palestinian colleagues but also underscored the imperative that media organizations worldwide must refuse complicity through silence. Rather than treating press freedom as optional, they declared it essential—especially when facing deliberate efforts to suppress it.

Together, these actions reflect a growing global movement where journalists affirm that moral responsibility cannot be deferred—even when doing so risks political backlash. This protest is a stark reminder that in moments of grave injustice, silence by the media is not neutrality—it is participation. Let me know if you’d like to explore how similar solidarity efforts are unfolding elsewhere or how unions are advocating for press protection worldwide.

Reference –

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/08/29/croatian-media-workers-protest-against-genocide-and-attacks-on-journalists/