MOSCOW, January 10 (Sputnik) – More than 200,000 people took to streets in France on Saturday to demonstrate their solidarity after terrorist attacks left 17 people dead in Paris, reports AFP.
Tens of thousands of people, some holding up signs that read, "Je suis Charlie" – I am Charlie, marched during a rally along the sea front in the Mediterranean city of Nice.
The rallies come ahead of a march expected to draw about a million people on Sunday in which French President François Hollande will be joined by a host of world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and US Attorney General Eric Holder, reports AFP.
The Prime Ministers of Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands will also attend along with the presidents of Mali, Niger and Ukraine.
"This will be an extraordinary demonstration, which must show the power and the dignity of the French people who are going to proclaim their love of freedom and tolerance," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told AFP.
Hundreds of troops were deployed around the Paris, which is already on the highest possible alert. The French government further announced that all essential measures would be taken to guarantee the safety of those attending the demonstrations.
