PARIS: Dozens of world leaders including Muslim representatives will join hundreds of thousands of French citizens to march amid high security through Paris on Sunday in an unprecedented tribute to victims of this week’s terrorist attacks.
Some 2,200 security personnel were being drafted in 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 p.m. (1400 GMT), reflects shock over the worst militant terrorist assault on a European city in nine years. For France, it raised questions of free speech, religion and security and beyond French frontiers it exposed the vulnerability of states to urban attacks.
Seventeen people, including journalists and policemen, lost their lives 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 kosher supermarket on Friday. The three gunmen were also killed.
“It will be an unprecedented demonstration that will be written in the history books,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.
“It must show the power and dignity of the French people, who will cry out their love of liberty and tolerance.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will be among over 40 foreign leaders marching with President Francois Hollande. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu – who earlier encouraged French Jews to emigrate to Israel – are also expected to take part.
Turkish and French sources said that a woman hunted by French police as a suspect in the attacks had left France several days before the killings and is believed to be in Syria… see more
source: gulfnews
Tags: Parish Peace March, Politics, World leaders
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.