In Solidarity !

Lights, photos, jingles, release of balloons, messages read in theatres… on the occasion of the 100th day in captivity in Iraq for Florence Aubenas, the journalist from Liberation and her guide Hussein Hanoun, many events were organised throughout Friday 15 April.

Thursday evening at the Trocadero in Paris, 100 people including some well known personalities such as Jeanne Moreau, Erik Orsenna, Benabar and Yves Simon launched the day of action by holding aloft torches to spell SOS.

Uniting to defend the freedom of the press and the support for hostages in Iraq, the French media set aside their rivalries to organise together a support operation that lasted through out the day. (Friday)

From midnight Thursday until midnight Friday, radio broadcast the same jingle, produced by Radio France, reminding audiences that Florence and Hussein have been kidnapped for 100 days. The voice on the jungle is that of journalist Christian Chesnot, former hostage in Iraq. Television stations were to show the same slogan "Florence, Hussein 100 Days in Captivity" produced by TF1. The slogan was shown even during the retransmission of the funeral of Prince Rainier111 of Monaco. All news bulletins will mention the date of the kidnapping while Internet media sites will display a caption.

On the France Culture channel 100 message of support will be read to coincide with the launch of the book "100 days without", published by the Support Committee. Radio France International (RFI) and its Middle East subsidiary RMC will organise on their channels a day of support for the hostages "to demand that everything be done to bring about their freedom as well as that of our Rumanian colleagues". The world of culture will also participate in this action with the reading of a message of support for the hostages in many theatres. In Paris 170 electronic notice boards will display 100 messages written to Florence and Hussein by 100 anonymous members of the public.