Marchers gather in Sydney to honour victims of France attacks | World news | The GuardianMarchers gather in Sydney to honour victims of France attacks | World news | The Guardian










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Charlie Hebdo attack



Marchers gather in Sydney to honour victims of France attacks









Hundreds meet in Martin Place as scene of siege becomes focal point for expressions of solidarity with victims as unity day in Paris begins

















Members of Sydney’s French community gather in the heart of the city to hold aloft banners reading “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) on Thursday. The vigil took place just metres from where two hostages and a gunman died after a cafe siege in December. Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images




Patrick Keneally


Sunday 11 January 2015 03.15 EST







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Hundreds of people have attended a rally in Sydney’s Martin Place to show global solidarity against terrorism after the Charlie Hebdo killings in France.
Some held signs aloft bearing the words “je suis Charlie” and “freedom” as they marched in sympathy with millions of people demonstrating worldwide against the terror attacks.
“We have to stand united,” the French ambassador to Australia, Christophe Lecourtier, said. “We have to work for a better future and a better future means being more united than before, respecting differences of religion, of opinion, but thinking that the values we share are bigger than the diversity and the differences among us.”



The ambassador noted the rally took place in Martin Place, the scene of the siege where hostages Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson were killed in December.
“There is a great movement of solidarity among the French that are living in Australia, you know it is quite a huge community, but also among the Australians who are good friends of my country,” he said.



“Especially here in Martin Place – Sydneysiders and Australians know what means violence, what means terrorism. So we have to stand united in order for that not to happen again, or at least for people to tell the world that their values are stronger than violence, stronger than murder, stronger than terrorism.”
Among the many French residents of Sydney attending the rally was Felix Delhomme, 27, who lived in Paris before moving to Australia.
“People are sending a message that we’re all together,” he said.
“We want to be able to maintain our freedom of speech.”
“We are mostly concerned about the backlash there might be against the Muslim community. They’re not more responsible for what happened than I am.”
The names of the 17 police and civilians who died during the attacks at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher deli in Paris earlier this week were read out in Martin Place before a minute’s silence was held.
A large crowd gathered there on Thursday night to hold a minute’s silence when France held a national day of mourning – only the fifth in the past 50 years – in honour of those killed in the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo.
More than 700,000 people took to the streets in towns and cities across France on Saturday in tribute to the 17 people killed in three days of violence by heavily armed Islamist extremists.
But that number was expected to be dwarfed by attendees at Sunday’s unity rally in Paris, which will be attended by world leaders including the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and UK prime minister, David Cameron. 
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and the king and queen of Jordan are also among those set to take part. 
Around the world, millions more are marching in solidarity on Sunday. London’s Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square will display the colours of the French national flag to coincide with the Paris rally, which is being held at 3pm local time.



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