Brussels under attack: social media rallies round Belgian terror city

Social media users around the world have shown their support for Brussels after the terrorist attack in the Belgian capital. As news emerged that dozens of people had been killed or injured in the bombings at Zaventem Airport and a metro station, Facebook’s Safety Check function appeared on the site. It allows users to tell people they are safe and for others to check on their friends and family and mark them as safe.

NousSommesUnis (We are united).

A tweet from the @Paris account

Meanwhile, on Twitter a number of hashtags started to trend, including #prayforBrussels and #OpenHouse, offering shelter for those caught up in the attacks with nowhere else to go. An image of a plane at the centre of a peace sign in the black, yellow and red colours of the Belgian flag was retweeted by many users. Le Monde tweeted a drawing of two people crying and hugging - one wrapped in the French flag and the other in the Belgian one. The dates of the two attacks are written underneath. French and Belgian social media users have also been showing their solidarity by tweeting images of Mannekin Pis, The Little Peeing Boy statue which is a tourist attraction in Brussels.

OpenHouse