Europe pays silent tribute to Paris massacre victims
People across Europe fell silent as they stood in solidarity with those in Paris to remember the victims of Friday’s devastating terror attacks.
With France observing a third day of national mourning, President Francois Hollande led the country in a minute’s silence at noon, 11am in Ireland, in memory of the 132 people who were killed in the massacres.
The silence was observed impeccably across Europe - and at the Place de la Republique, a historic square a few roads from the Bataclan concert hall where 89 were killed, applause rang out after the minute of quiet contemplation as Parisians showed their defiance to the terrorists.
President Michael D Higgins signed a book of condolences at the French Embassy in Dublin after the minute's silence.
At the French Embassy in Dublin, people sang La Marseillaise and applauded after the minute's silence.
La Marseillaise, then applause, after the minutes silence at the French Embassy in Dublin #Paris pic.twitter.com/5BhzuW1r3N
— Philip Bromwell (@philipbromwell) November 16, 2015
The Irish Embassy in Paris flew the Irish flag at half mast in solidarity with France.
Embassy of Ireland in Paris marks one minute of silence in solidarity with La France. @GlobalIrish #GBN pic.twitter.com/MKty5i0Juw
— Irish Embassy Paris (@IrlEmbParis) November 16, 2015
Similar scenes took place at Notre Dame and across Paris, while the silence was observed by European leaders at the G20 summit in Turkey.
In the UK judges halted proceedings at crown courts in Cardiff and London, while National Rail asked passengers and staff to join in the silence.
St Pancras International ground to a halt as hundreds of travellers put a momentary stop to their journeys, a long queue of people waiting to take the Eurostar to France falling motionless.
Among them was Mark Evans, 36, who works in telecommunications and regularly travels to Paris.
He said: “Nothing has changed at all in terms of my feelings of personal safety. I have been to Paris many times before and Friday’s events have not changed my mind about going.”
