Motaz Azaiza spoke to TIME on the red carpet at this year’s TIME100 Gala in New York City. The Palestinian photojournalist is honored on this year’s list for his work showing the world what is going on in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. He spoke about the Gaza solidarity encampments that are popping up at universities in New York and across the country. He recently visited students at Columbia University and New York University and told TIME about the experience.
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00:00 You recently met with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. What was that like?
00:04 It was amazing. At least someone from the Congress.
00:09 I appreciate your efforts and what you did.
00:12 And I recognize you as a Palestinian photojournalist.
00:17 And I'm trying just to help you, to reach more people, to tell your story.
00:23 And, yeah, to help your people more.
00:27 And you've spent some time at NYU in Columbia. What has that experience been like?
00:32 It was like I got invitations from the journalism schools there to go there and speak and meet the students.
00:40 It was great. I appreciate this, actually.
00:44 I was happy and glad to be there between the students who want to know more and to educate themselves.
00:51 And it's an honor for me to be a reason to raise awareness about what's happening in my country.
00:57 And you've been using your platform to raise awareness for months.
01:02 And I'm wondering if there's anything else you really want people to know.
01:06 That we are humans and we are calling and asking and fighting for our freedom.
01:13 We're not human animals.
01:15 My people are getting killed and murdered and starving. Don't find food, don't find a shelter.
01:21 People are in the tents. And now it's so hot there.
01:25 And people are really suffering. It's now like 200 and plus days of suffering and murdering people and civilians.
01:33 Most of them are women and children by reports from the United Nations.
01:38 And there are more terrible things. No one saw it because no one could film it.
01:45 I'm here as a Palestinian photojournalist from Gaza Strip.
01:50 I lost more than 128 of my colleagues.
01:54 Journalists should be protected everywhere in the world.
01:59 What else do you have to say about journalists' rights and how they need to be protected across the world?
02:07 Journalists should not be afraid while doing their work.
02:12 But they should not be threatened to be killed if they do their work.
02:18 So, yeah, I'm a journalist. I did my best.
02:24 And there are others still on the ground there.
02:27 And I wish the journalists who got killed to rest in peace.
02:36 And yeah, free postage. Thank you so much. Thank you for your work