Paris : Dozens of world leaders including Muslim and Jewish statesmen linked arms leading about 1.5 million French citizens in an unprecedented march under high security to pay tribute to victims of the recent militant attacks, according to news agencies.
President Francois Hollande and leaders from Germany, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Britain and the Palestinian territories among others, moved off from the central Place de la Republique ahead of a sea of French and other flags. Giant letters attached to a statue in the square spelt out the word “Pourquoi?” (Why) and small groups sang the “La Marseillaise” national anthem. Families of the victims, many weeping and embracing, were also at the front of the march along with the world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Some 2,200 police and soldiers patrolled Paris streets 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.
According to the French Interior Ministry, 3.7 million attended the rally against extremism in France. In the capital itself, one organizer estimated that as many as 1.5 million people were crammed in the center of Paris. “Paris is today the capital of the world. Our entire country will rise up and show its best side,” said Hollande in a statement. The British, German and Israeli leaders were also joined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, all of whom will march through the French capital in the same demonstration — a world first. Meanwhile, Family members of the 12 people killed during the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo weekly also arrived at the rally, an AFP journalist reported. Each wore a white bandana on their head with the word “Charlie” written across.