Crowds Gather To Defy Terrorists In Paris March

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By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, in Paris

Paris is on high alert as world leaders converge on the city for a march expected to draw millions of people in a demonstration of national unity.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls predicted the huge turnout to honour the 17 people killed in attacks on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a kosher supermarket and the police.

He told thousands gathered near the scene of the deadly supermarket siege on Saturday: "I have no doubt that millions of citizens will come to express their love of liberty, their love of fraternity."

As the crowds started to gather, French President Francois Hollande said: "Today, Paris is the capital of the world."

"The entire country will rise up," he told ministers, according to AFP news agency.

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Gallery: Paris Set For Massive Unity March Over Terror Attacks

The first pictures are coming in as people start together for the march in Paris. Here a man is dressed as the Statue of Liberty in front of the Place de la Republique. The statue was a gift from France to the US

A woman holds a sign with the names of the victims of the attacks

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The march begins at 2pm UK time at takes two routes through the city - some estimates predict a million people will turn out. David Cameron is among world leaders attending

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With the country's national security threat system still at the highest level and a suspected member of the terror cell behind the attacks on the run, France has deployed thousands of police and troops to protect the capital.

More than 5,500 police and military personnel will be deployed, including 2,200 to guard the route of the march, which will run for 1.9 miles (3km) from the historic Place de la Republique to Place de la Nation.

Police marksmen will be stationed on roofs in the area ahead of the start of the march at 3pm (2pm UK time).

Some 2,000 police officers and 1,350 soldiers will be stationed at other locations around the city, including at places of worship, media outlets and public buildings.

As the crowd marches, 150 plain clothes detectives will mingle among them and a security perimeter will be enforced, with roads and some metro stations closed.

Public transport is free all day to encourage people to attend without cars.

In London, landmarks including Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square will display the colours of the French national flag from 4pm.

Around 50 world leaders are due to take part in the Paris march, including David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Ahead of the event, Mr Cameron wrote on Twitter: "I'm on my way to Paris to march with the French people. The #CharlieHebdo murders will not crush our spirit or our values."

Home Secretary Theresa May is in Paris for a meeting of European interior ministers to discuss security measures across the continent in the wake of the attacks.

The far-right Front National has hit out after its leader Marine Le Pen was not invited to join the country's main political leaders at the march.

Ms Le Pen has urged her supporters to shun the event and stage regional demonstrations.

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Gallery: Faces Of French Terror Victims

Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection. Known as Charb, He and his nine colleagues, along with the two policemen were killed at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris

Bernard Maris, 68, was an economist and contributor to Charlie Hebdo. He also held shares in the magazine

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More than 700,000 people have already taken part in rallies across France this weekend.

Brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi and their associate Amedy Coulibaly were shot dead by police on Friday as a three-day reign of terror was brought to an end.

Authorities are hunting Coulibaly's "armed and dangerous" partner Hayat Boumeddiene - but may have their work cut out after it emerged she left for Turkey on 2 January and may have travelled to Syria.

A German newspaper in the city of Hamburg that reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from Charlie Hebdo was the target of an arson attack on Sunday. No-one was injured.

:: There will be full coverage of the march on Sky News. See it on skynews.com, our mobile apps and on Sky News - channels Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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