By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

PARIS, France – An estimated 3.7 million people across France have demonstrated in the country’s unity rally, the French Interior Ministry says. The Unity Rally honors the memory of the 17 lives lost during last week’s attacks at the Charlie Hebdo Weekly headquarters, a Parisian Kosher market as well as the murder of two French police officers. In the capital city of Paris, where the attacks took place, 1.6 million took to the streets to participate in Sunday’s rally. The unity rally recognizes and celebrates the religious and ideological diversity of the French Republic and celebrates the country’s long tradition of free speech and democracy. More than 40 world leaders attended the rally and took part in the Paris march, linking arms in an act of solidarity at the start of the March. Demonstrators of all walks of life carried signs thanking the French Police, supporting Free Speech and expressing solidarity with all of the victims of the horrific attacks in Paris. “Today, Paris is the capital of the world. The entire country will rise up,” the French president, François Hollande, said.

Among the world leaders who attended the event were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, David Cameron, prime minister of the United Kingdom Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s prime minister and Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko as well as Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania. Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also attended the Rally. About 2,200 security personnel guarded the route of the march, passed the historic Place de la Republique to Place de la Nation in the east of Paris, a symbol of French democracy. Later Netanyahu and Francois Hollande, the French president, visited the Grand Synagogue in Paris.

Hundreds of World Flags were flown by demonstrators, who represented all religions and nationalities who turned out at the Rally, not only to show their respect for the victims of last week’s tragedy, but to demonstrate their support for the values of the French Republic: “liberté, égalité, fraternité” – freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Hundreds of demonstrators held signs that said “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) during the rally as well as “On est tous Charlie” (We are all Charlie), demonstrators also held pens as well as banners in French, English and Arabic and other languages. Some banners read “Nous sommes la République” (We are the Republic) and “Je suis Muslim”. One child held a banner reading: “I am Charlie, I am the police, and no Chérif will take away my liberty.” Another young boy carried a placard reading: “Later I will be a journalist. I’m not afraid!” a woman who attended the rally said “We are united – Muslims, Catholics, Jews, we want to live peacefully together.”

The rally was the largest demonstration as well as the largest gathering of people in the modern history of France. The French Interior ministry reports that the number of people who gathered in Paris in Sunday’s rally were more than those of the marchers who took to Paris streets when the allied forces liberated the city from the Nazis during the Second World War.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Paris Unity Rally – 11 January 2015

Al Jazeera – Millions Attend Unity Rallies in France – 11 January 2015

BBC News – Paris Attacks: Millions Rally For Unity in France – 11 January 2015

The Guardian – Paris Anti-Terror Rally: All Religions, Ages and Nations in Massive Show of Unity – 11 January 2015