NEW DELHI,October 2: Journalists across the country held simultaneous peaceful protests on Gandhi Jayanti against the spate of killings, threats and violence directed at media persons. Silent protests, meetings and human chains were organised in various state capitals and cities under the aegis of press clubs in the country to draw attention to the killings, threats and intimidation of journalists. Senior, junior and mid level journalists from across the mass media joined in large numbers to register their concerns. 

Expressing concern at the growing incidents of attacks on sections of the media fraternity across the country - the symbolic protests on October 2 sent out one single message - violence against journalists in any form will not be tolerated in the land that preaches non violence. The peaceful protests drew attention to the increasingly unsafe environment for journalists, the misogynistic and abusive targeting of media persons for their views on online forums, covert and overt threats to physically harm journalists for holding different opinions and increasing intolerance against criticism.

The peaceful protests resolved that journalistic freedoms and the right to dissent need to be protected and the right to freedom of expression needs to be upheld in the interests of our liberal secular democracy. 

A memorandum appending the signatures of hundreds of journalists would be submitted to the Union Home Minister requesting his intervention for a status report on attacks against journalists in various states and action taken in that regard.