Dutch Media Join Global Blackout to Protest Journalist Killings in Gaza

September 01, 2025 – Palestine –

Dutch newspapers participated in an international media blackout to protest the targeting and killing of journalists in Gaza. Over 200 news outlets worldwide joined the action, coordinated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Avaaz, and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). In solidarity, activists across the Netherlands staged a walkout from workplaces and classrooms at noon to mark the protest.

Among the Dutch participants, NRC printed a front page entirely in black, with the stark message: “Without reporters, the image from Gaza goes black.” Inside, the newspaper emphasized the demand for safer working conditions for journalists in Gaza and called for unrestricted access for international media to the region. Meanwhile, De Volkskrant dedicated its front page to powerful photographs of journalists killed in Gaza, supplementing them with extensive coverage inside. Meanwhile, AD and Parool featured interviews with Palestinian photo and video journalist Mohamed Hannawi, adding a personal and emotive dimension to the protest. Even the Dutch branch of World Press Photo joined in solidarity.

The protest comes amid a devastating tally of losses: at least 210 journalists have been killed since the Gaza conflict began, marking it as the deadliest conflict for media workers in modern times. RSF’s Director-General Thibaut Bruttin warned ominously: “At the rate at which journalists are being killed in Gaza by the IDF, soon there will be no one left to keep the world informed.”

Adding to the media-led dissent, Free Press Unlimited, together with the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ), displayed placards honoring murdered Palestinian journalists for politicians returning to The Hague after summer recess. Through this, they urged the Dutch government to take tangible action against Israel’s targeting of the press and to uphold international norms of press freedom.

This coordinated blackout signals more than solidarity—it’s a bold statement that press freedom cannot be sidelined. Drawing global attention to the perilous conditions journalists face in conflict zones, Dutch media and civil society are insisting that the right to report must be protected—and that journalists must not pay with their lives.

Reference – 

https://nltimes.nl/2025/09/01/dutch-newspapers-join-protest-israel-targeting-journalists-gaza