'One Million' March With World Leaders in Solidarity Against Terror Attacks

By Kim Willsher, Anne Penketh and Alexandra Topping, Guardian UK

11 January 15

Presidents and prime ministers join estimated million-strong march in honour of the victims of this week’s attacks

rotocol went out of the window as the 60 world leaders congregated in Paris on Sunday to show their support and solidarity with France after a week of terrorist bloodshed that left 17 dead.

In an event unprecedented in the history of modern France, nobody was standing on ceremony. Presidents, prime ministers, statesmen and women travelled by bus to join a largely silent march to honour the victims and heroes of the three attacks, and to show that they would not be bowed.

They stood in a line, some of the most powerful people on earth, jostling for space in the Paris boulevard named after Voltaire, the French writer whose name is synonymous with freedom of expression.

The crowd around them was estimated to number more than 1 million, under the watchful eye of 2,200 heavily armed police and gendarmes, including crack snipers on the surrounding roofs, and helicopters.

The straggly line then set off, arm in arm, the French president, François Hollande, in the centre, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to his left. To his right, Ibrahim Boubacar Këita, the president of Mali, the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and David Cameron, the UK prime minister.

‘We are walking together, as one Europe, Africa, the Middle East against terrorism’ was the message.

As they marched, the crowds that lined the route broke into spontaneous cheers and applause.

The dignitaries had followed the families of the victims of Wednesday’s attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo magazine that left 12 people dead, the police officer shot on Thursday in Montrouge and the families of the four Jewish shoppers who died in an attack on a Kosher supermarket in Vincennes on Friday, who led the march.

Staff of the magazine, wearing white headbands bearing the name “Charlie”, wept. Onlookers wept. Journalists wept.

In the leading cortege, tears streamed down faces, riven with the grief and shock of the last few days. Hands clutched hands and the most distraught needed support as they made their way towards Place de la Nation.

In emotional scenes, Hollande hugged the family and friends of those who died, moving from Charlie Hebdo staff and relatives of the police officers who were gunned down to the families of the supermarket victims.

Leaders of all the religions followed behind a banner proclaiming “We are Charlie”.

While the occasion was heavy with symbolism, a group of Paris students expressed fears that the march would be exploited for political ends because of the presence of so many world leaders. “This isn’t a demonstration, it’s a rally to show solidarity and unity,” said Claire Guerini, a medical student.

Her friend, Camille Le Bot, a dance student, said: “We’re worried about political manipulation. We’re here to say that what happened was extremely grave and that we’re not afraid.”

Many of the crowd wore “Je suis Charlie” badges, some carried flags and placards. A young boy held up a banner reading: “Later I will be a journalist. I’m not afraid!”

In Paris, a child's placard: "When I grow up, I'll be a journalist. I'm not afraid." #CharlieHebdo (H/T @ChrisMoos_) pic.twitter.com/2P1hfYHC4H

— Martyn McLaughlin (@MartynMcL) January 11, 2015