In solidarity with terrorists’ victims

TENS of thousands of people have taken to the streets of France and cities around the world in a show of solidarity against the forces of terrorism.

In the wake of the outrage when Islamist terrorists armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles callously killed 12 people in cold blood during an attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, huge crowds of people gathered.

Many were holding placards saying Je suis Charlie (I am Charlie) and others held pens, pencils and notebooks in the air to symbolise freedom of speech.

Vigils were held not just in Paris and other French cities, but also across the world in cities including London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Brussels, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Tunis, Lima, Rio de Janeiro and Madagascar. 

Late into the night sombre crowds gathered in France, including a reported 10,000 people in both Toulouse and Lyon.

The crowds were gathered to show support for the 12 people killed when militants entered the offices of the magazine and hunted down journalists, including four cartoonists who had satirised Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.

Charlie Ebdo’s editor and cartoonist, Stephane Charbonnier, was killed along with his police bodyguard. He had been under police protection since a 2011 firebomb attack on the magazine’s old offices.

French President Francois Hollande called the attack a ‘barbaric attack against France and against journalists.’

French police have made seven arrests, but are still hunting for the two gunmen. Chief suspects are brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, aged 34 and 32. The search operation is centred on the north of France.