Day of mourning announced in France as thousands gather for vigil in Paris
Thousands of Parisians have gathered in La Place de La Republique to express their condolences and show their support for satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo after 12 people were killed earlier today, when hooded gunmen opened fire at the magazine's offices.
French President Francois Hollande has decreed that tomorrow - Thursday - will be a national of day mourning.
"At noon all state institutions will observe a minute of silence and I call on the whole nation to observe it too," Hollande said. He added: "Flags will be lowered to half-mast for three days."
This evening people in Paris are carrying banners with the slogan 'Je Suis Charlie' and are holding pens and pencils up to the sky to support the freedom of the press.
People have also turned out in London and Berlin for similar vigils
Berlin for Charlie Hebdo.
— Negar Mortazavi نگار مرتضوی (@NegarMortazavi) January 7, 2015
Via @jonworth pic.twitter.com/GLveMHsqw5
President Francois Hollande spoke near the scene earlier:
Other world leaders including US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have condemned the attack, but supporters of the militant Islamic State group celebrated the slayings as “well-deserved” revenge against France.
The Islamic State group has repeatedly threatened to attack France. Just minutes before the attack, Charlie Hebdo had tweeted a satirical cartoon of that extremist group’s leader giving New Year’s wishes.
The 12 dead included two men who went by the pen names: Charb – the editor who was a cartoonist as well – along with the cartoonist Cabu, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed.
Two police officers were also among the dead, including one assigned as Charb’s bodyguard after prior death threats against him, a police official said.
