And while a jittery city continues to absorb the implications of two major terrorist attacks within a year, the lights on the Eiffel Tower, for now at least, remain dimmed.
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To be sure there were still plenty of people Saturday posing for selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower and finding a lover’s lips along the Seine.
Setting up the replica Eiffel Tower is no easy task – but it’s something that’s humbling to have to now tackle – in the wake of terror attacks that left more than 130 people dead, and more than 350 hurt. Using hashtags such as #PrayforParis and #JeSuisParis, its popularity is sure to expand even more.
A sense of mourning and prayers of sympathy spread globally as news broke of the attacks that killed more than 100 people in Paris. A city famed for its glamour and bustling streets seemed garbed in mourning as Parisians struggled with the shock of the multiple attacks that claimed scores of lives.
Another common fake was a photo of the concert of the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal which was allegedly taken at the Bataclan concert hall minutes before the terrorist attack which killed dozens of people there. It’s not my image – it’s not a piece of work that I’m proud of or anything – I didn’t create it to get credit or benefit from it, ‘ he said.
Local police are advising those in the city to keep movement around Paris to a minimum.
Speaking after leading a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee, Home Secretary Theresa May said the United Kingdom authorities were working to find anyone involved in the “barbaric attacks” in the French capital. “There is a curfew so I imagine everyone is staying in for the night”. Global leaders are scheduled to descend on Paris for the event.
Tourist operators hope so.
Should you be in Paris now, remember there are many other wonderful things to do outside the normal touristy destinations including walks along the Seine, sharing a baguette and coffee in an outdoor café, enjoying a futbol (soccer) game on TV (it’s an obsession there), rollerskating, art gallery hopping, sketching, chatting with fellow tourists or world travellers and Parisiens. About 20,000 people a day make their way up the 1,063-foot tower, which boasts of breathtaking views of the city.
Tourism is an important part of France’s economy, accounting for about 9 percent of GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Its tourism industry also has recent experience attempting to buffet itself from impacts of terrorist mayhem.
A few commentators have called this the French 9/11, just like they did after the attacks in January at the magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Separately, France 24 drew attention to U.S. presidential candidate and billionaire Donald Trump’s tweet, where he pointed out that the Paris attacks occurred in a country with among the toughest gun control laws in the world.
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Heather Lacy, a Fox News producer who is in the hotel, said she saw a group of five police enter.
