PARIS: Mourners across the globe reacted to the attacks in Paris with tears and anger, but also with colorful shows of solidarity with France.
Monuments across the world, from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to One World Trade Center in New York, have been adorned with France’s blue, white and red colors, while the French national anthem was being sung in unlikely places.
Among politicians, there were loud calls for the world to ratchet up the fight against terrorism.
Bouquets, candles and messages of condolence were laid at French embassies worldwide.
A Twitter campaign has begun encouraging notoriously tribal England football fans to join with French traveling supporters in singing La Marsellaise, France’s national anthem, before the kick-off in the friendly match between both countries.
New York’s Metropolitan Opera led by star tenor Placido Domingo mourned the victims of the Paris attacks with an unscheduled performance of the French national anthem.
The Marseillaise was also heard in the streets of Dublin, as 6,000 marched in the Irish capital in solidarity with France.
The initial call for the march came via social media from 21-year old Juliette Charton, a French au-pair living in Dublin, the Irish Independent reported.
Many participants were draped in the French Tricolor flag and some carried placards reading “Pray for Paris” and “Je Suis Paris.”
The European Union called for a minute’s silence to be held Monday for the victims of the attacks.
“We Europeans will all remember November 13th 2015 as a European day of mourning,” it said.
In Madrid and Barcelona, hundreds stood for a minute’s silence outside city hall.
“We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberte, egalite, fraternite, are not just the values French people share, but we share,” said US President Barack Obama, citing France’s national motto.
French President Francois Hollande received calls from world leaders including Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.
Queen Elizabeth II said she and her spouse Prince Philip were “deeply shocked,” and British Prime Minister David Cameron offered Britain’s help.
Indian Premier Narendra Modi called the attacks “anguishing and dreadful” and Hassan Rouhani of Iran condemned the attacks as “crimes against humanity.”
“We share the sadness and the pain of the French people,” said Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. “The Paris tragedy requires of us all to unite in the fight against extremism.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping said: “In these tragic times for the French people, I want... to condemn in the strongest ways this barbarous act.”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that French policy had contributed to the “spread of terrorism” that culminated in the Paris attacks.