More than 3 million people have marched through Paris and other French cities in a show of unity after last week's (1) attacks by Islamist extremists. The French government said it was the largest rally in the country's history. President Francois Hollande linking arms alongside 40 world leaders say that today Paris was the capital of the world. From Paris, Chris Morris reports. “More than a million people on the streets of Paris say no to (2) and pay tribute to the victims of last week's attacks. There were (3) and singing, cheers and defiant deplores. Some people simply marched in silence. Messages of solidarity pinned to their scarves and coats; With political leaders from across Europe and beyond gathered at the front of march, one state the crowds stretch back for miles through the streets. Young and old took part in this march, people of all races and creeds, among them many French Muslims and many French Jews; There were similar rallies in cities throughout the country. But at the same time the attacks had exposed (4) in France and elsewhere.”
This Algerian born French woman explained why she was marching. “My (5) is Islam. But I lam French. I live here. I eat the French bread and I love my country. And I walk against (6) because these are what happened in this week. We all are victims of this. There are Jews. There is Christian. There are some people who don't believe in Gods. But they are human. We all are human. We all are brothers.”
The king of Jordan and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas were among several Middle Eastern leaders taking part in the Paris rally. Morocco said that its foreign minister in Paris to present his country's condolences would not take part because of what Morocco regards as the blasphemous of nature of Charlie Hebdo Cartoons. President Hollande later joined the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a ceremony at the (7) synagogue to commemorate the four Jewish victims of the attack on a kosher supermarket. Mr. Netanyahu thanked to a Muslim employee of the super market Lassana Bathily who saved several of the (8)
Rallies to show solidarity with France has taken place around the world. In Madrid several hundred Muslim carried banners saying not in our name gathered next to the railway station where in 2004 bombs plotted by Islamist (9) killed nearly 200 people. Thousands of people gathered in Brussels, Berlin and Vienna. In London top monuments were (10) with the red, white and blue color of the French flag. More than 20,000 people marched in Canada’s French-speaking city of Montreal.