Eiffel Tower Goes Dark To Honor Charlie Hedbo Victims

The lights on the Eiffel tower were turned off on Thursday as mourners in France held a vigil at the Place de la Republique for the victims of the Charlie Hedbo attack earlier this week.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told the French paper Liberation: “Our city has been a refuge for writers, philosophers, journalists who were threatened for their ideas. There is no place in Paris for extremist ideas of any sort.”

#JeSuisCharlie Ce soir à #Paris, la tour Eiffel s’est éteinte à 20 heures. https://t.co/EuxtSybKFd pic.twitter.com/5j9ctAX4uI

— Brindille (@Brindille_) January 8, 2015

France also showed solidarity by observing a moment of silence on the day following the shooting that killed 12 people at the headquarters of the satirical magazine.

NPR reports that public transportation was halted as crowds stood silently around the country holding #JeSuisCharlie signs.

#JeSuisCharlie – @afp Staff observe minute of silence at #AFP headquarters for the victims of #CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/X9xoXgkU8N

— Frédérique Geffard (@fgeffardAFP) January 8, 2015

AUSTRALIA – #JeSuisCharlie" to pay tribute to #CharlieHebdo victims By Peter Parks #AFP pic.twitter.com/wtNiggbK7m

— Frédérique Geffard (@fgeffardAFP) January 8, 2015

While today was a day of mourning in Franc, tomorrow the fight against stupidity will march on. Charlie Hedbo columnist Patrick Pelloux said that the magazine plans on putting a special edition out this week because “stupidity will not win.”

Pelloux said: “It’s very hard. We are all suffering, with grief, with fear, but we will do it anyway because stupidity will not win.”

According to the Verge, the magazine’s usual circulation sits around 30,000 but next Wednesday the surviving members of the Charlie Hedbo staff (8 staff members were killed during the attack) plan to print 1 million copies of the magazine. The endeavor will be funded by the French media, as well as companies like Google who donated about $300,000 to the effort.

Radio France, Le Monde and France Televisions said in a joint statement: “Faced with horror, the groups Radio France, Le Monde and France Televisions announce that Charlie Hedbo will be made available and its team will bring together all necessary means to ensure that Charlie Hebdo continues to live.”

[Image Via Wiki]