Paris attacks: ‘All free men are French’ as world falls silent for one minute

A minute’s silence was observed across the world on Monday in memory of the victims of the worst-ever terror attacks on French soil. In Paris, President Francois Hollande and his cabinet, all dressed in black, bowed their heads at the Sorbonne University, surrounded by scores of students. And at Place de la Republique near the site of many of Friday’s attacks, hundreds more stood still to remember the 129 people who were killed in the bloodbath. Large crowds also gathered in silence by the Bataclan music venue where 89 people were died and outside a nearby bar and restaurant where 15 people were slain.

Today, every free man is French

Message on flowers outside French embassy in London

At the G20 summit in Turkey, the seven EU leaders present – David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Matteo Renzi, Mariano Rajoy, Laurent Fabius, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker – observed the minute of silence in front of the main entrance. The European Union and French flags were both decorated with a black ribbon, while about 100 journalists took part in the tribute in the press centre at the European Commission building in Brussels. In Britain, the Houses of Parliament rang the division bell on the stroke of 11am as members fell silent and Union flags on all government buildings flew at half-mast “as a mark of respect and expression of solidarity”. The England football team, due to play France in a friendly match on Tuesday, broke off training in Enfield, north of London, to pay tribute. There were similar tributes in Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam and in Sweden and Norway.

World minute silence