Hundreds of journalists in Paris lay on the steps of the Opéra Bastille in a solemn "die-in" to honour the more than 200 Palestinian reporters killed in Gaza since October 2023. Wearing press vests stained with red paint, they symbolised the deadly toll of Israel’s war, which has claimed over 51,000 Palestinian lives. As the names of slain journalists were read aloud, participants took turns lying motionless—marking each loss in a stark visual protest against what many call targeted silencing.  

The demonstration highlighted growing frustration among media workers over restrictions on covering Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Célia Gueuti, a Radio France journalist, revealed that discussing Palestine in French newsrooms often leads to accusations of bias. "We’re labelled activists, not journalists, for condemning this genocide," she said. Similar rallies in Marseille and other cities echoed demands for press freedom and access to Gaza, where reporters work under constant threat of Israeli strikes.  

Organisers, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), called the killings an unprecedented assault on journalism. "Our Palestinian colleagues risk everything to document these crimes," RSF stated, urging global media to challenge Israel’s narrative. The protest united professionals from AFP, Mediapart, and other major outlets, alongside international press freedom groups condemning the systematic targeting of journalists.  

UN experts and rights advocates have accused Israel of deliberately obstructing media coverage in Gaza. With foreign reporters largely barred from entering, Palestinian journalists remain the world’s primary witnesses to the devastation—yet over 200 have paid with their lives. As the war drags on, the Paris die-in served as a grim reminder: in conflicts where truth is the first casualty, those who defend it often become the next.