Syria: Shock and Disbelief Over Murder of Journalists

Netizens covering the daily carnage in Syria on social media had to take a step back today to soak in news of more atrocities committed against humanity in the Baba Amr neighbourhood, in besieged city of Homs.

NPR media strategist Andy Carvin, who is in Tripoli, Libya, tweets:

@acarvin ^[2]: I need to unplug for a bit before I say something I’ll regret. I just can’t take this right now. #homs #syria

He adds:

@acarvin ^[3]: Killing reporters and citizen journalists won’t stop us from bearing witness. You can’t stop us. #syria #homs

And continues:

@acarvin ^[4]: These reporters and citizen journos muster more bravery in a day than I ever will in a lifetime. I am forever in their debt. #syria #homs

While Iyad El Baghdadi admits:

@Iyad_elbaghdadi ^[5]: I have to take a break and cry for a bit. See you later.

The reactions followed reports on the deaths of American journalist Marie Colvin, who works for Britain’s the Sunday Times and French photographer Remi Ochlik. According to Reuters ^[6], “shells hit the house in which they were staying and a rocket hit them when they were escaping.”

Meanwhile, netizens on the ground report that a third reporter is also said to be injured, when the media centre the journalists and activists were in was attacked.

Tweets4peace accuses the Syrian regime of conducting the attack. The Twitter user notes:

@tweet4peace ^[7]: We know it is regime is because these type of missile attacks have been continuous for 19 days now. Today was target on media centre #homs

The news created an outpouring of sympathy on Twitter, already reeling over the world’s silence at the massacres being committed against Syrians protesting against Bashar Al Assad and his regime and claiming the lives of thousands of citizens.

From Egypt, Maha Abdoelenein tweets:

@mahagaber ^[8]: Utter Shock & Disbelief. Marie Colvin killed in Homs, Syria today. I worked w her extensively on all things Egypt

Diaa Hadid notes:

@diaahadid ^[9]: Rest in peace Marie Colvin, Remi Ochlik, few will die as honorably, telling the world of what others sought to conceal

And Rania Zabaneh reminds us:

@RZabaneh ^[10]: #Syria is becoming a deathtrap for journalists. This is OUTRAGEOUS: EIGHT journalists killed since 2012; FOUR in #Homs.

Meanwhile, CNN reporter Arwa Damon concludes:

@arwaCNN ^[11]: RIP 2 our colleagues killed in #homs, the price we pay 2 shed light on atrocities, the price #syria pays everyday 4 freedom

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/12 ^[1].