World Unites In Historic March Against Terrorism
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On Sunday, January 11th, almost 4 million people across France and several hundred thousand more globally, marched in solidarity against terrorism. The biggest gathering was in Paris where an estimated 1.7 million people, including 40 world leaders, walked along the boulevards and avenues of central Paris. Some were carrying signs with the slogan “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie), while others held up large stylized pencils or wore writing implements on their hats or other items of clothing.
All the symbols were a tribute to satirical magazine publisher Charlie Hebdo, where the event that terrorized the nation for three days, began. On Wednesday, January 7th, two gunman stormed into the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people, including two police officers, as well as the magazine's chief editor, Stephane 'Charb' Charbonnier. The assassinations conducted by brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi who had links to Islamic terrorist group Al Qaeda, are believed to be a response for the magazine's numerous mocking cartoons depicting prophet Muhammad, a strict taboo in Islam. The tragedy did not end there.
Despite efforts to stop them, the two escaped. On January 8th, with the police close on their tracks the terrorists hid inside a small printing plant in Dammartin-en-Goele, northeast of Paris, holding its manager hostage.
If that was not bad enough, an eerily similar scenario was unfolding in a different part of the city at about the same time. Another terrorist, Amedy Coulibally, who authorities believe was connected to Cherif and Said Kouachi, began by killing an unarmed police officer that was responding to a traffic incident in the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge. The following day, just a few hours after the Kouachi brothers took over the printing press, he barricaded a kosher supermarket nearby, with a number of customers still inside.
On Friday, January 9th, the French police stormed both places almost simultaneously, successfully killing all three terrorists. While the manager of the printing press escaped unscathed, four supermarket customers held captive by Amedy Coulibally, were not as lucky.
To pay tribute to the 17 people that perished and demonstrate the country's unity against anyone that threatened their basic right of freedom, a group of residents decided to organize a march. They adopted the slogan "Je Suis Charlie", which soon went viral, becoming the most popular news hashtag in Twitter history, within two days. Not surprisingly, the march soon took on a life of its own, ending up as one of the biggest gatherings in the country's history.
People all across the world, from Berlin to London, New York to Sydney, showed support for France's determination to stand up to terrorism by holding similar marches in their cities. As for the publishers at Charlie Hebdo? Despite the major setback, they immediately got back to work. This week's magazine cover depicts Prophet Muhammad holding a "Je suis Charlie" sign - a clear indication that they are not going to let anyone dictate what they can or cannot publish in their magazine.
Resources: latimes.com, dailymail.co.uk,nbcnews.com, cnn.com
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293 Comments
- :)almost 10 yearsThis is ubeleivible!
supercakealmost 10 yearsThis is terrible! I'm french myself and none of this ever happened
dk_the_gr8almost 10 yearswhat do you mean by "none of this ever happened"?
- Halylyalmost 10 yearsFrankly, I think the march was the greatest thing to come out of this. It's sad that so many people died. While I know that freedom of speech/freedom of press is a right that everyone's entitled to, I think that with the right, there also comes responsibility to use it wisely. People may have very strong beliefs and opinions, and very strong feelings to support them. As such, when you make fun of something that some people love so much, of course there's going to be a backlash. Of course their love for that thing/person would push them to defend it. These terrorists were just extremists, and it's sad that they didn't value the lives of the human beings around them. While it's probably good to have them gone, it's also sad they had to die. May their souls find salvation..... (somehow) Like nikuyu and pieface were saying, some people might feel that it is unfair to discriminate against the prophet person, but seriously, do you think they have the right to march into the country and kill 17 innocent people?! No one, what so ever, has any right to do such a thing. Think of the families of those 17 and how much they had to suffer, just because of a newspaper and 2 reckless, unbelievably cruel men.
- dk_the_gr8almost 10 yearsyou don't know if the people who made the cartoons were bad people, they could just be poor and in need of money.
bigmeloalmost 10 yearsI entirely agree. It still boggles my mind how two men could have caused such an impact on the people of France.
- Halylyalmost 10 yearsThis is so sad.who would do such a thing. The terrorist are even threatening people with phones and are saying,remember the 11th of September. I am like omg, who would do this.i just can't get. Over this. These terrorists are like bully's to the world instead of one or two people.i wonder what goes through their heads when they do this.i am also wondering if we are going to have a big war. I hope not but for now I hope we stay safe
- Kaplanalmost 10 yearsThe March was sad but fun I whent to it
- Lulualmost 10 yearsI think this is horrible
cheetahluveralmost 10 yearsLike nikuyu and pieface were saying, some people might feel that it is unfair to discriminate against the prophet person, but seriously, do you think they have the right to march into the country and kill 17 innocent people?! No one, what so ever, has any right to do such a thing. Think of the families of those 17 and how much they had to suffer, just because of a newspaper and 2 reckless, unbelievably cruel men.
crystalmorialmost 10 yearsFrankly, I think the march was the greatest thing to come out of this. It's sad that so many people died. While I know that freedom of speech/freedom of press is a right that everyone's entitled to, I think that with the right, there also comes responsibility to use it wisely. People may have very strong beliefs and opinions, and very strong feelings to support them. As such, when you make fun of something that some people love so much, of course there's going to be a backlash. Of course their love for that thing/person would push them to defend it. These terrorists were just extremists, and it's sad that they didn't value the lives of the human beings around them. While it's probably good to have them gone, it's also sad they had to die. May their souls find salvation..... (somehow)- cheetahluveralmost 10 yearsOhh i totally agree!
- crystalmorialmost 10 yearsIt's good that people are uniting against terrorism, though. And I also agree that what those terrorists did was wrong. The whole thing is just kind of sad. But may those tears and blood not be shed in vain. May they spur us forward, as with this march, to create a new tomorrow where no one will have to suffer like this again...
- galmost 10 yearsthat is SO crazy
- CAREBEARalmost 10 yearsWOAH! That is a lot of people