- Title: Lanterns light up Paris canal one year after district was hit by Islamist attacks
- Date: 13th November 2016
- Summary: MAN PLAYING PIANO AS CROWD WATCHES
- Embargoed: 28th November 2016 18:36
- Keywords: Paris November 13 France attacks lantern Canal Saint-Martin Place de la Republique
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00258A0ND3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of lanterns coloured in the blue, white and red of the French flag lit up Paris' Canal Saint-Martin on Sunday (November 13) in honour of the victims of the November 13 attacks on the anniversary of the killings across the city.
Situated in the Paris' 11th district, the canal is close to many of the bars and cafes targeted in the 2015 attacks which left 130 people dead.
Groups of gunmen and suicide bombers attacked the perimeter of the Stade de France sports stadium, the Bataclan and a string of six bars and cafes: La Belle Equipe, Le Petit Cambodge, Le Carillon, A la Bonne Biere, Casa Nostra, and Le Comptoir Voltaire.
Around 5,000 lanterns were set floating along the canal, with participants paying three euros for each light on which they wrote personal messages. Proceeds were set to go towards victims' associations.
Local resident Lucie, who lives near Le Comptoir Voltaire, said the ceremony was a symbol of defiance.
"We are not afraid and we are still standing despite everything," she said.
The lantern ceremony was one of several commemorations taking place across Paris on Sunday, with French President Francois Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo unveiling a series of commemorative plaques at the sites targeted by Islamist militants.
Crowds also gathered at Place de la Republique, a site that has become a hub for mourning since France's recent spate of Islamist attacks. A small crowd listened to impromptu performances on a piano in the heart of the square.
Responsibility for the killings was claimed by the Islamic State group, which has called on its followers to attack France, which is bombing IS bases in Iraq and Syria. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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