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THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR has thanked Irish people for their “overwhelming” messages of support in the wake of this week’s terror attacks that left 17 people dead.
Gatherings are being held in cities across Ireland today to coincide with a massive ‘unity’ rally in Paris. Taoiseach Enda Kenny will attend the event in the French capital, along with the likes of British Prime Minister David Cameron, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
“The terrorists tried to kill us through those journalists — to kill our hope,” Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault said, at an event to commemorate the victims of the attacks at Dublin Castle yesterday.
He said the Embassy had received thousands of responses from Irish people since Wednesday’s initial attack on the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Frances Fitzgerald / TwitterStanding in solidarity with the French Ambassador #JeSuisCharlie #ParisShooting pic.twitter.com/nm34PBbiWI
— Frances Fitzgerald (@FitzgeraldFrncs) January 10, 2015
“They try to put us into the shadow — now we stand in the light and the light is created by all those thousands of responses from the public,” Thébault said.
He thanked people who had sent messages or signed books of condolence opened at public buildings around the country.
Each pen and pencil that each Irish person will use to mark even a single word of support will be saying to the terrorists you are defeated.
Today’s march in Dublin will be a symbol of the unity of values between Ireland and France, he said.
He said the feeling of “brotherhood” French people in Ireland had felt in recent days was “overwhelming”.
We feel at home here in Ireland.
The Dublin event — organised by the French community here — will begin at the Spire on O’Connell Street at 12pm, marching to the Alliance Français centre on Kildare Street.
An organiser wrote on Facebook:
You are welcome to express yourself with the posters you’ll print, but out of respect for some of us who are mourning, as soon as we leave the spire (in front of the GPO), it would be great if you could walk in silence.
In Cork, a silent vigil will take place at Daunt Square at noon. Galway’s event also takes place at midday, at the Spanish Arch.
The French Embassy is posting details of other events on its homepage. Details of locations for books of condolence are also available on the embassy site.
Note: Organising a ‘unity’ event today? Send us the details: news@thejournal.ie
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Hi Darragh. Can we see more articles on what happened in Nigeria. Thousands were killed.
The journal only writes about Nigerian’s in direct provision.
They’re not white, Nigeria is in Africa. Who cares? Double standards astounding.
Have you written to their president to ask what he’s doing? You can easily get him on his facebook page.
This Whataboutery isn’t very productive.
I heard Boko Haram strapped a bomb to a 10 year old girl and she killed herself and 17 others yesterday
There is an article on what happened in Nigeria girls. Hold onto your knickers, they’re getting in a twist.
Moonshine
€670million a year in foreign aid, thousands of bogus African asylum seekers granted permanent status many whose backgrounds we know nothing about, affirmative action, positive discrimination, Africans getting council houses before Irish people in the council queues – contradicts your claim.
Why isn’t the Irish Government doing something about this?? “Ireland being used as ‘transit hub for Jihadis’ heading for Iraq and Syria. One of the individuals who features high up in all international terrorism bulletins has been living in south Dublin for over 15 years.”
“I’d be wary about endorsing or supporting Charlie Hebdo’s racist cartoons.”
That is the kind of mindset that creates the sense of victimhood that feeds the notion that certain groups have a right to silence free speech.
Write about Nigeria yourself!!
You said the same thing yesterday. Why didn’t you email the journal and ask them to report on it?
Horrific what happened in Paris. No one deserves to be shot or killed for offending someone. Very heartened to see how many people are standing in solidarity with the Muslim communities in Paris and Sydney. But I’d be wary about endorsing or supporting Charlie Hebdo’s racist cartoons.
About as racist as Fr Ted.
Fred, we may not agree with what was said but we defend the right to say it.
I mean, these marches are great and very moving. But 2,000 people were slaughtered by Boko Haram and who is marching for them?
Where are the Je Suis Nigeria placards? Where are the twitter hashtags? Where is the outpouring of grief for the innocent civilians – many of them children, NONE of them journalists drawing provocative cartoons – who were massacred yesterday or the day before?
How many articles have been published about the Charlie Hebdo attacks compared to this attack? What world leaders are in Nigeria showing solidarity with the people there? People should be just as outraged about that as they are about France.
And yet.
What are the Nigerians themselves doing about it ?
Mike, Nigeria has been besieged by attacks from this group. It is struggling to keep its people safe from them. That’s why it needs the same support and solidarity from the international community that France is receiving. There is a very clear double standard.
Are there none in Africa, is African news not focussing on it. This is Europe, you might think we could focus on ourselves for once?
Meanwhile Irishcentral say…..
have your say