Showing their support. Jon Stewart reacted to the Paris attack that left 12 people dead, including several cartoonists and editors of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, during The Daily Show on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The late-night host, like the rest of the world, was shaken about the senseless act and mourns the loss of the victims.
“Our hearts are with the staff of Charlie Hebdo and their families tonight. I know very few people go into comedy as an act of courage, mainly because it shouldn’t have to be that,” he said. “Those guys at Hebdo…were killed for their cartoons.”
French police officials have identified Said Kouachi, Cherif Kouachi, and Hamyd Mourad as suspects in the deadly attacks, which killed 12 people, including four of the magazine’s founding cartoonists. (Eleven others were injured, four of them critically.) The publication has previously enraged some Muslims with its cartoons depicting their holiest Prophet, Muhammad.
“[The attack is a] stark reminder that for the most part, the legislators and journalists and institutions we ridicule are not in any way the enemy,” Stewart continued. “For however frustrating, or outraged the back and forth can become, it’s still a back and forth — a conversation amongst those on, let’s call it, team civilization.”
Conan O’Brien also paid tribute during Conan. “In this country we take it for granted that it’s our right to poke fun at the untouchable or the sacred. But today’s tragedy in Paris reminds us very viscerally that it’s a right that some people are inexplicably forced to die for,” he said. “It’s not the way it’s supposed to be.”
For Louis C.K., a simple red T-shirt got his point across. According to MTV, the comedian showed his support by wearing a top with the words “Charlie Hebdo” written on it during his Madison Square Garden show on Wednesday night.
As more information continues to pour in, it’s been reported that the three suspects have been linked to a Yemeni terrorist network. Just hours after the attack, one of the men — Mourad — surrendered to police.
Watch Stewart’s reaction above now.
