Charlie Hebdo-draw on Skup conference – VG

In January, ten of his colleagues killed in the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Friday was Bernard Willem Holtrop received with a standing ovation at the largest media event.

Several hundred journalists began Sunday SKUP conference in Tønsberg Holtrop company. The Dutch cartoonist, who lives and works in France, was invited to participate in the evening program on the conference’s first day Friday.

Willem, who is an artist his name, is one of the founders of the satire magazine Charlie Hebdo, but do not participate on editorial meetings in the magazine. He escaped thus the deadly attack in Paris on January 7.

HIT: The first number of satire magazine Charlie Hebdo after the terrorist attack in January. Also in Norway regarded journalists and manifests as terrorist by PST. Photo: Helge Mikalsen , VG

Was not at work

The morning took two heavily armed men into the newsroom in French Charlie Hebdo. They shot and killed the editor Stéphane “Charb” Charbonnier and nine other employees who had gathered for morning meeting to plan the next issue of the weekly satirical newspaper.

The attackers, two brothers with backgrounds from Algeria, also killed two policemen. Two days later they were surrounded in a print shop northeast of the French capital. Both were killed in a confrontation with police.

– I was lucky that was not there. I sat on the train from Brittany where I live. I got a phone call from a friend about problems in Charlie Hebdo. My answer was that there are always problems in Charlie, he said.

The editors were previously exposed to bombings and threats kept emerging in the nearly 50 years he has worked with satire in France.

More angry than sad

– Then came a new message that two were killed. I thought “is it possible?”. Then there was another message that ti was killed, I could not believe it. When he came to Paris, he tried to get in touch with colleagues and friends in the newsroom, but did not let go past the police cordon, he said.

– But I found some of the survivors of the attack. The very next day we talked about the future and that one must not let the crazies win.

Holtrop says he reacted more with anger than sadness over the deaths of their colleagues.

Terrorists Said Kouachi (left) and Cherif Kouachi from the French city ​​of Reims attack Charlie Hebdo. PHOTO: XX

Bearings still satire

Already weeks after the attack against the editors, was Charlie Hebdo in the street in France and numerous other countries. Front showed the Prophet Muhammad, holding a poster with the text “Je suis Charlie.” The headline was “Everything is forgiven.” The magazine, which usually had a circulation of around 60,000, were printed in seven million copies. 170 of them were sold in Norway.

After a week break came the first ordinary number in the trade for just a month ago. But it costs to continue to provide the magazine.

– It is difficult that so many are gone, but we are working hard to create a newspaper people can laugh, said Holtrop about the work of Charlie Hebdo in time after the attack.

Declined protection

After the attack in January, he has refused police protection.

– No, it was the policemen who were killed first. And if they want to kill me, they manage it. It helps not to be afraid.

Before Holtrop leaves the stage in Tonsberg, he concludes with the following line:

– I’m glad I live in a part of the world where there are mosques, synagogues and churches and we can joke with them. Believers must like to believe that the world is flat, so long as they do not force their “wisdom” on my grandchildren.

SUPPORT MARKINGS: The terrorist attacks in Paris brought millions of people to the streets in the days that followed.

Photo: Stephane Mahe , Reuters