Dozens of pro-Palestine activists held a vigil and solidarity march Friday in Portland to honor the journalists killed in Gaza.
The event included the reading of names of fallen journalists and a peaceful march to press and media offices.
Faisal Khan, organizer with the Maine Coalition for Palestine, says foreign journalists continue to be denied entry into Gaza therefore limiting the independent documentation of what is happening there.
"Media and journalism is so important, especially in this country, of course, when it comes to democracy and transparency. So in conflict zones, you know, It's really essential for accountability and truth documenting what's going on," Khan said.
Organizers are calling on the media and journalists to stand in solidarity with "their colleagues who have sacrificed their lives in the course of their work."
"When you're talking about closing off all avenues of communication, and one of the most, one of the ugliest, most brutal ways to do it, is to kill all the journalists," said Fateh Azzam, a Palestinian American.
He said reading their names made him emotional.
"These are human beings who are trying to do a job, trying to let the world know what's going on in Gaza. This is not just a name, this is not just a number, this is a full life there. It's all I can think of," Azzam said.
Azzam said over 270 journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
