A powerful message was sent from Sarajevo yesterday. On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine, a solidarity gathering titled Artistic Intifada was held, blending protest and art.
An informal group of people gathered as they have done every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in recent weeks, joined by passersby. For an hour, they read the names of 17.000 children killed in Gaza, while some stood silently holding signs.
As part of the event’s diverse program, a group of journalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) once again expressed their support and solidarity with colleagues in Gaza. Their aim was to send a clear message of solidarity to journalists in Palestine and Lebanon and to protest against the killing of journalists in these regions, with a resolute declaration: “Stop Killing Journalists!”
Visitors also had the opportunity to support a humanitarian bazaar, with funds raised directed toward purchasing tents for the Jabalia camp in Gaza. The event featured several artistic performances and speeches by individuals representing BiH artists and journalists.
Veteran journalist Edina Kamenica spoke on behalf of journalists. In her speech, she reflected on war reporting in BiH:
“Here we are, near what was known as Sniper Alley, one of the deadliest streets in wartime Sarajevo. It has been exactly 30 years and 22 days since November 18th, 1994, when, not far from here, on the path between the National Museum and the Faculty of Philosophy, a sniper bullet fired by a soldier of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) from Grbavica killed seven-year-old Nermin Divovic. The bullet first struck his pregnant mother before lodging in the boy’s temple. In besieged Sarajevo, alongside Nermin, another 1.600 children were killed,” Kamenica recalled, evoking those painful days. She continued with an emotional account:
“Just moments before the shot rang out, as I was returning from work, I passed a frail woman leading two children. The gaze of the boy, who would be dead seconds later, is something I can never forget. The sniper likely had me in his sights too but chose to shoot, despite a ceasefire, at the next passersby.”
Kamenica concluded with a powerful message for journalists, her colleagues in Gaza and Lebanon: “In this dirty war over territory, natural and historical resources, and the eradication of an entire people – a war that seems to have trampled on all of humanity – your moving dedication to the Human Being has captured the hearts of millions, including ours. To all those in power, from the West to the East, and to our own, we say: ‘Do not kill journalists! Without each of them, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, or Ukraine, the world becomes dimmer. Do not kill anyone! Do not destroy, build! When you eventually sit on the defendant’s bench – and you will – even you will feel some relief then.'”
Journalist Arijana Saracevic-Helac emphasized that journalists in Gaza must know they are not alone.
“We have an obligation to always stand with them. As a war reporter myself, I know how they feel, and this is the only way we can send them a message, as we cannot help them otherwise,” Saracevic-Helac said, N1 writes.
E.Dz.
Photo: N1
