Winthrop students march for free speech, free press in France

Simultaneous funerals are being held today in Jerusalem and Paris for some of the victims of deadly attacks in Paris last week while stateside, students at Winthrop University marched on campus in solidarity for journalists killed while working for the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Thibaut Tacuqet, a graduate student from France, organized an 11 a.m. march on Winthrop’s campus, joined by dozens of other french students and several more along the way, joined also by faculty and staff.

Students marched in silence denouncing the terror attacks that killed employees of Charlie Hebdo, a magazine Tacquet said was named after the American cartoon Charlie Brown.

“Its hard for us because we’re far from family, far from France. We really wanted to do something together,” Tacquet said.

The march stretched across campus, ending near Winthrop’s front entrance. Students held signs that said “Je suis Charlie,” translated in English to “I am Charlie.”

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