Huge crowds and some 40 world leaders have gathered in Paris for a unity march after 17 people were killed during three days of deadly attacks.
PARIS (Reuters) – Dozens of world leaders including Muslim statesmen gathered in Paris on Sunday to join hundreds of thousands of French citizens set to march amid high security in an unprecedented tribute to victims of this week’s Islamist militant attacks.
Some 2,200 police and soldiers patrolled Paris streets to protect marchers from would-be attackers, with police snipers on rooftops and plain-clothes detectives mingling with the crowd. City sewers were searched ahead of the vigil and underground train stations around the march route are due to be closed down.
The silent march, starting at 3 PM local time, reflects shock over the worst militant Islamist assault on a European city in nine years.
An Elysee official quoted President Francois Hollande as telling his ministers: “Paris is today the capital of the world. Our entire country will rise up and show its best side.”
Seventeen people, including journalists and police, were killed in three days of violence that began with a shooting attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday and ended with a hostage-taking at a Jewish deli in which four hostages were killed.