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French
President Francois Hollande presides over a ceremony to pay tribute to
the 130 people killed during the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks at the
military museum Les Invalides in Paris, France, Nov. 27, 2015.
(Xinhua/Marc El Chombier) |
PARIS, Nov.
27 (Xinhua) -- Under a cloudy, wintry sky, the French tricolor was
displayed outside public buildings and homes on Friday. Government
officials, politicians from left and right camps and leaders of
different religious groups gathered at the military museum Les Invalides
to pay tribute to the 130 people killed during the Nov. 13 terrorist
attacks.
Families of the victims and wounded survivors arriving in wheelchairs
joined the national ceremony, sending a message of "love of life" in
the face of "the cult of death."
In a somber atmosphere, the memorial ceremony started with Jack
Brel's song "Quand on a que l'amour (When we have nothing but love)
"performed by Camelia Jordana, Yael Naim and Nolwenn Leroy, three French
singers of different origins.
The names of the victims, including foreigners from 17 countries were
read out one by one before their pictures were displayed on a giant
screen in Les Invalides.
People
attend a ceremony to pay tribute to the 130 people killed during the
Nov. 13 terrorist attacks at the military museum Les Invalides in Paris,
France, Nov. 27, 2015. (Xinhua/Marc El Chombier)
A series
of coordinate attacks, claimed by the Islamic State (IS), targeted bars,
a concert hall and a soccer stadium in the French capital two weeks
ago. A total of 130 people were killed and more than 350 others were
wounded in France's worst terror attacks.
French President Francois Hollande pledged to eradicate extremist
fighters and invited the French to battle terrorism by simply continuing
to enjoy the pleasure of their daily lives by going to restaurants and
attending sporting and cultural events.
"I
solemnly promise you all that France will do everything to defeat the
army of fanatics who have committed these crimes, that it will act
tirelessly to protect its children," he said.
"The terrorists want to divide us, to oppose us, to pit us against
one another. They will fail. They have the cult of death, we have the
love of life," he added.
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People
attend a ceremony to pay tribute to the 130 people killed during the
Nov. 13 terrorist attacks at the military museum Les Invalides in Paris,
France, Nov. 27, 2015. (Xinhua/Marc El Chombier) |
Hollande intensified air strikes against IS training camps and oil facilities, of which the militant group makes money.
He also chaired meetings with his European allies, U.S. President
Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss how to
build a strong global coalition to defeat IS in Syria and Iraq.
"We will defeat this enemy, together with our forces, those of the
republic, with our arms, those of democracy, with our institutions, with
international law," the Socialist leader told attendees.
Last week, the French parliament approved the extension of a state of
emergency declared immediately after the attacks to three months on
persistent high terror alert. |
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