Carrying French flags and #JeSuisCharlie signs, hundreds gathered near Los Angeles City Hall Sunday in solidarity with the 17 people who died in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris this week.
The world's attention swung to the small French cartoon magazine Charlie Hedbo when gunmen opened fire at an editorial meeting, killing 12, in retaliation for inflammatory drawings some have claimed were racist. The gunmen eventually took hostages in two separate incidents that ended with several more dead.
The French consul general, Axel Cruau, joined the crowd in LA on the same day that at least 1.2 million people massed in Paris in a unity march attended by the leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Israel and Palestine. French officials said it was the largest gathering in the country's history.
"The terrorists will not succeed," Cruau said.
Hundreds of people starting to gather at steps of city hall in solidarity with France pic.twitter.com/A9qW9wOAG9 — Jane Yamamoto (@JaneNews) January 11, 2015
The gathering was meant as a vigil for the victims of the attacks, according to the French Consulate, which encouraged people to bring pens, drawings, stickers and flowers in protest of efforts to silence free speech and the free press.
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They chanted "All together" in French.
Best comment at vigil from political cartoonist: "We need to fight a war on stupidity." #JeSuisCharlieinLA — Vitagraph Films (@VitagraphFilms) January 11, 2015
Jane Yamamoto contributed to this report.
