France Falls Silent For Paris Victims

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A minute's silence has been held across France to remember the victims of the gun attack at the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

At midday (1100 GMT), crowds of people stood silently in public squares, schools and outside official buildings. Many shed tears.

After the silence, bells tolled at Paris' Notre Dame cathedral and in churches across the country.

Later there were a number of spontaneous anti-Moslem protests on the streets of Paris, where security has been stepped up.

President Francois Hollande has ordered flags to fly at half-mast for three days.

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Gallery: Vigils Worldwide For Paris Attack Victims

People hold signs reading "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) in Paris as they observe a minute of silence for the victims of an attack by armed gunmen on the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo

Floral tributes are left close to the Charlie Hebdo offices

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People hold hands and form a circle around the Place de la Republique (Republic Square) at midday

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People stand under the rain with umbrellas in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral

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People hold signs reading "Nous sommes tous Charlie" (We are all Charlie)

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The minute's silence came after vigils were held in cities across the world to mourn those killed in the attack in Paris and show support for freedom of speech.

More than 35,000 people gathered in the French capital on Wednesday, after gunmen stormed the offices of the magazine, killing 10 journalists and two police officers.

Thousands also turned out in the French cities of Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseille.

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Gallery: Magazine Victims Identified

Bernard Maris was a journalist and shareholder in Charlie Hebdo

Bernard Velhav was a contributer to the magazine. Pic: Georges Seguin

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Many of those at the Place de la Republique in Paris carried signs with the words "Je Suis Charlie", which means "I am Charlie" in English.

Others used slogans such as "press freedom has no price" and "Charb mort libre" (Charb died free), a reference to the magazine's editor Stephane Charbonnier, one of four cartoonists murdered by the terrorists.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Berlin, London, New York, Brussels, Madrid, Rome and Vienna to express their horror at the killings.

About 500 people stood in silence in front of the French embassy in Berlin, with many holding candles and waving the European Union flag.

In Trafalgar Square, people held up their mobile phones showing the "Je Suis Charlie" message.

Some sang the Marseillaise, the French national anthem, while holding pens as a symbol of press freedom.

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Gallery: Gunmen Attack Paris Magazine Office

Armed gunmen face police officers near the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris

An attack on the offices of the newspaper left twelve dead, including two police officers, according to sources close to the investigation

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In Spain, the French ambassador to Madrid, Jerome Bonnafont, joined a crowd of several hundred people outside the embassy shouting "Free speech, free speech".

In Montreal, more than 1,000 people braved temperatures of minus 20C to express solidarity with France.

French police are hunting two men in connection with the attack, brothers Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi. A number of others have been arrested.

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