Vigil Outside LA City Hall Honors Victims Of Paris Terror Attacks
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — A crowd gathered Sunday outside Los Angeles City Hall to show solidarity with the millions who marched in Paris against the terror attacks that left 17 dead and devastated the city this week.
CBS2/KCAL9's Laurie Perez estimated that nearly 500 people attended the demonstration in L.A. She said the crowd promised to turn their grief into action. The crowd held hands and shook hands.
"Whether we are Christian, Jews, Muslims, atheists, we all live together and they will not win," said Axel Cruau, the counsel general from France, who was on hand for the local vigil.
Attendees wore pencils as hairpieces and used umbrellas to fight intolerance rather than the rain.
Alan Betrancourt, a French-American, said he was on hand "for us to really show that we care for liberty, liberty of the press, your liberty."
The crowd swelled with applause as New York Times editorial cartoonist Patrick Chappatte spoke. He knew some of the victims of the shooting at the office of the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.
"Let's not get cartoons involved in any war of any kind, except a war against stupidity," Chappatte said.
His message was echoed by others at the LA vigil.
"The world should stand against terrorism, we're all affected by it," said David Seigel, the counsul general from Israel. "And now is the time to respond because if we don't respond, what happened in Paris will only be the beginning."
France's Interior Ministry called the rally in Paris "unprecedented": They estimate 3.7 million took part, more than the numbers who took to Paris streets when the Allies liberated the city from the Nazis in World War II.
Their arms linked, more than 40 world leaders headed the somber procession, setting aside their differences for a manifestation that French President Francois Hollande said turned the city into "the capital of the world."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood near Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also marched.
Demonstrations were also held in cities around France and around the world.
The deadly attacks on the satirical newspaper, kosher market and police marked a turning point for France that some compared to Sept. 11. In the weeks and months ahead, the cruelty will test how attached the French -- an estimated 5 million of whom are Muslims -- really are to their liberties and to each other.
Netanyahu and Hollande attended a ceremony Sunday at the Grand Synagogue in Paris for all the victims.
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