Hundreds of people gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square last night to pay their respects to the 12 people killed at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. The attack on the office and staff of Charlie Hebdo was prompted by the publication of satirical Cartoons that depicted the Prophet Muhammad. The Paris-based publication had previously been targeted, fire bombed and burned to the ground.
The atrocity sparked hundreds of people to march in solidarity in London’s Trafalgar square as well as Paris’s Place de la Republique, among other locations around the globe. The attack, which has been internationally condemned by world leaders as well as members of the Muslim community has been deemed an act of terrorism. This is the worst attack on French soil in many years.
Many of the marchers in London were from the vast French community which numbers over 350,000 . The vigil included many people holding up signs which read “Je Suis Charlie” a reference to the magazine Charlie Hebdo.” Those killed in the shooting included economist Bernard Maris, prominent cartoonists Wolinski and Cabu, Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier and cartoonist Bernard Verlhac, Eight journalists – including the magazine’s editor – died along with a caretaker and a visitor when masked men armed with assault rifles stormed the Charlie Hebdo offices during an editorial meeting. Eleven people were also wounded, some seriously.