LONDON’S Trafalgar Square was flooded with thousands of people this weekend to unite in solidarity with the victims of the Paris massacre.

The French flag, the Tricolore, was projected onto the National Gallery as the crowds sang the Marseillaise, during a vigil that was described as “at once sombre, defiant and boisterous.”

Candles and phones were held by attendees in the darkness, as the square’s fountains lit up in blue, white and red.

At the vigil, Alasdair Russell said: “Thousands of people fell silent, and smartphone flashlights lit up all around.
“One here, then two, then three or four, then almost imperceptibly a sea of white lights had formed.

“The minute of silence stretched on — two minutes, three, four, as though nobody wanted to break that moment.”

When the silence was broken, the crowds, many of whom were French, broke into applause.
“For a long time, it seemed as though spontaneous renditions of La Marseillaise were sparking up every few minutes,” added Mr Russell.

Across Britain similar scenes took place in Birmingham, Belfast and Edinburgh.

A congregation at St Giles Cathedral, in the Scottish capital, included Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

In his speech Mr Swinney said: “We want to express, as we have done very clearly since Friday evening, our strongest solidarity with the people of France at their time in need, and particularly for the people from the

French community here in Scotland — part of our country, part of our society and very much part of our lives.”

joanaramiro@peoples-press.com