FRANCE-SHOOTING/UNITY MARCH PREVIEW EU leaders to join unity march for French shooting
Record ID:
324677
FRANCE-SHOOTING/UNITY MARCH PREVIEW EU leaders to join unity march for French shooting
- Title: FRANCE-SHOOTING/UNITY MARCH PREVIEW EU leaders to join unity march for French shooting
- Date: 10th January 2015
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 10, 2015) (REUTERS) WORKERS AT MEDIA FREEDOM ORGANISATION 'REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS' UNPACKING T-SHIRTS AHEAD OF MARCH IN BOX, T-SHIRTS WITH LETTERS READING (French): "I AM CHARLIE" VARIOUS OF WORKERS UNPACKING BANNERS READING (French): "WE ARE CHARLIE" GENERAL SECRETARY OF REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, CHRISTOPHE DELOIRE, AT DESK MAP OF PRESS FREEDOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL SECRETARY OF REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, CHRISTOPHE DELOIRE, SAYING: "Tomorrow there will be hundreds of thousands of people on the streets, possibly millions in all the cities of France. They will demonstrate to protest against the actions against Charlie Hebdo, this massacre, but also to defend the spirit of Charlie Hebdo. That's to say the spirit of freedom." BANNER BEING HELD READING (French): "WE ARE CHARLIE" (SOUNDBITE) (French) GENERAL SECRETARY OF REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, CHRISTOPHE DELOIRE, SAYING: "I can absolutely not remember heads of state and of governments coming en masse to demonstrate in Paris. So, with that there is the demonstration of a movement of solidarity, which very much goes beyond national borders and numerous international people, to demonstrate through spontaneous protests in a large number of towns in the world; it's a very strong sign." PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 7, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CROWD GATHERED HOLDING BANNERS AND POSTERS IN PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 10, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLACE DE LA NATION VARIOUS OF PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE
- Embargoed: 25th January 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAD41NDG1SSZP40QV078074T8R6
- Story Text: Leaders from across Europe are expected to join thousands of Parisians in a unity march through the streets of the capital on Sunday (January 11) to condemn the Charlie Hebdo shootings.
The rally will begin at Paris's Place de la Republique, which in recent days has become a monument dedicated to those killed in a series of violent attacks across France which have rocked the country and shocked the world.
"Why?", asks a banner hung on the statue of French Republican heroine Marianne in the middle of the square which is littered with tributes including the slogan, "Je suis Charlie", ("I am Charlie") which has been adopted to protest the killings which began with the deaths of 12 at weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday (January 7).
Tourists and Parisians were still flocking to the monument on Saturday (January 10) to lay flowers and leave messages.
"I really feel like it's our identity that is being hit, the identity of all democracies. For me it's really serious. In some ways, it's Voltaire who's being killed here," Parisian Francois Laurent said.
"We can utilise this event to create something positive and to realise that unity is better than division, and this time we have to stand united against the threat, and it's a big threat. And we shouldn't be scared, we have to face it," said Greek-born Costas who said he and his daughter would be attending the march.
At they invitation of French President Francois Hollande, they will be joined at the rally by leaders from across Europe including British Prime Minister, David Cameron, and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
At media freedom organization, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), preparations were well underway on Saturday with banners printed and t-shirts piled up, ready to be sold in aid of the satirical magazine.
RSF Secretary General Christophe Deloire said that having European leaders stand side by side, regardless of national and political divides would send a strong signal.
"Tomorrow there will be hundreds of thousands of people on the streets, possibly millions in all the cities of France. They will demonstrate to protest against the actions against Charlie Hebdo, this massacre, but also to defend the spirit of Charlie Hebdo. That's to say the spirit of freedom," he said.
"I can absolutely not remember heads of state and of governments coming en masse to demonstrate in Paris. So, with that there is the demonstration of a movement of solidarity, which very much goes beyond national borders and numerous international people, to demonstrate through spontaneous protests in a large number of towns in the world; it's a very strong sign," he added.
300,000 demonstrators already marched throughout France on Saturday and demonstrations of solidarity have been held across the world. On Wednesday, 35,000 people gathered in the Place de la Republique in semi-silence, holding pens to symbolise an attack on the freedom of the press.
Organisers expect hundreds of thousands to attend the march on Sunday which will travel through the east of the capital to the Place de la Nation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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