French and world leaders have strongly condemned a shooting at the offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in which at least 12 people were killed. Thousands turned out across French cities Wednesday night in solidarity with the victims.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack at the Charlie Hebdo weekly, whose caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed have frequently drawn protest from Muslims.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that 12 people had so far been killed, including four of France’s best-known cartoonists and the magazine’s director, Stéphane Charbonnier (also known as Charb). Another 11 people were reportedly injured, four of them critically.
A police source told Reuters late on Wednesday that police were looking for two brothers in their 30s as well as a younger accomplice. A separate security source told FRANCE 24 that police were focusing on the towns of Reims and Charleville-Mézières north of Paris.
France has raised its security alert to its highest level and reinforced protective measures at houses of worship, stores, media offices and on public transportation while government officials convened for an emergency meeting.
In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Hollande said the attack was an attack on all of France and on the ideal of freedom of expression. He declared a day of national mourning on Thursday for the victims.
Police said that some 15,000 people had gathered at Place de la République in Paris Wednesday evening in a show of solidarity with the slain and injured journalists. People also flocked to Twitter to show their support online using the #JeSuisCharlie hashtag.
Tens of thousands braved the cold night in other cities across France. The police prefecture estimated that between 13,000 and 15,000 paid homage to the Charlie Hebdo victims in Rennes while another 10,000 turned up in both Toulouse and Lyon, local authorities said.
http://www.france24.com/en/20150107-charlie-hebdo-paris-attack-journalist-terror-/
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