PARIS
French President Francois Hollande declared three days of national mourning starting from Thursday after an armed gang attack at the Paris headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo left 12 people dead on Wednesday.
"Today France is attacked in its heart, in Paris," Hollande said in an address on French television.
Thursday "will be a day of national mourning," the French president announced, adding that "flags will remain at half-mast for three days."
Holande called on the French people to unify and not to panic, "Our best weapon is our unity. Nothing can divide us, nothing should separate us."
He said that he will hold a meeting on Thursday with the heads of the chambers of parliament and leaders of different parties.
- 'Sickening murders'
Paris prosecutor Francois Mollins told a press conference that a group of at least two masked men armed with Kalashnikov automatic rifles arrived in a black Citroën car and stopped in front of the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo magazine, which sparked controversy in 2006 and 2012 for publishing comic cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
They arrived at the reception and shot one person, before going to the rest of offices, where the entire newspaper staff was located, and started firing.
Mollins said the assailants found themselves facing police as they left the building and there was a shootout which resulted in no injuries.
They then faced a second group of police officers and engaged in another shootout, also without any injuries. A third shootout resulted in the death of a policeman.
As they left the building, they shouted "God is great" and claimed to have avenged the Prophet Mohammed, Mollins claimed.
They killed 12 people, including eight journalists, a policeman and a guest. Eight people were injured, four of whom are currently fighting for their lives.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers arrived in the nineteenth district, where they crashed their car on Meaux Street before hijacking a Clio car and fleeing.
“Investigations are ongoing. I will provide for the moment no further details on the investigation. We call for the media to be responsible,” Mollins said.
He said that the list of dead and injured victims will be sent to the Department of Justice and that an autopsy of the victims will take place on Thursday.
- Man hunt contınues in and around Paris.
Police said the attackers spoke fluent French.
Rocco Contento, a spokesman for the Unite police union, said the attackers had leapt into a getaway car driven by a fourth man and drove to north-east Paris, where they abandoned the vehicle and hijacked a second car after pulling out its driver.
Shortly before the attack, the magazine had tweeted a cartoon wishing a Happy New Year to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, to which he is pictured replying: "... and especially good health."
- Journalists killed
Among the dead were satirical journalists and cartoonists regarded as legendary across France, including editor Stephanie "Charb" Charbonnier, Bernard "Tignou" Verlhac, Jean Cabu and George Wolinski.
Renowned economist and writer Bernard Maris was also killed.
The journalists were attacked as they attended an editorial meeting at the publication.
Families of the victims were being cared for in a building close to the Charlie Hebdo offices.
Eyewitness Benoit Bringer told French TV channel Itele: "Two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs. A few minutes later we heard lots of shots."
- ‘Dark day’
Hollande earlier called the shootings "an attack on liberty."
"France is in shock, in shock over this terrorist attack," he said when he arrived at the scene with a group of ministers, including Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
"This is an act of exceptional barbarism against journalists who have always endeavored to show that, in France, you can operate to defend your ideas," he said.
He said the raid was "undoubtedly a terrorist attack" and that "several terrorist attacks were thwarted in recent weeks," adding that France was on a state of "high alert."
The press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders expressed its “deep shock."
A newsroom attack with machine guns is the type of violence we witness in Iraq, Somalia or Pakistan," stated Christophe Deloire, Reporters Without Borders’ Secretary General.
“Could we expect such horror in France? A nightmare that became reality. This terrorist attack marks a black day in the history of France.”
Nicolas Sarkozy, leader of the UMP opposition party, said the attack was, "a savage act against freedom of expression. Those standing behind this barbaric act should be caught and brought to justice."
"We need to continue to live our lives normally. France has been hit in its heart, we need unity to counter terrorism," he added.
The French Prime Ministry office said public places, such as malls and public transportation, would be protected by extra police forces.
- Muslim community condemns attack
The French Council of the Muslim Faith condemned the attack, describing it as a "barbaric act against democracy."
"We are deeply shocked by what we saw and felt at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, the horror stories, the unspeakable pain: it was a war field with Kalashnikov rifles and shooting in Paris," said Dalil Boubaker, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith.
“Those who have committed this attack are barbarians and cannot claim to have done it in the name of the Muslim community or religion: the Muslim community aspires to peace and living together. Islam absolutely condemns the killings," he said.
“Religious leaders of the Muslim community must come together tomorrow on Thursday to define the terms of a rally,” added Bounaker.
The Union of Islamic Organizations of France said, "We condemn this criminal attack and these horrible murders."
Collective Against Islamophobia in France said the attack was a “despicable and hateful act that we denounce with force.”
“We expect from our representatives responsible speeches in order to avoid any unwelcome stigma of Muslim citizens and to avoid feeding a heavy climate of prejudice and rejection,” the statement read.
Three human rights associations – the Council for Justice, Equality and Peace, the Union of French-Turks Entrepreneurs and the Organization of Racism and Islamophobia Watch -- issued a joint statement condemning the attack.
"No act justifies the barbarity and cruelty of these crimes. We can be in disaccord with the press, but the fight should be led with words against words and certainly not with weapons," the joint statement said.
"This act risks having heavy consequences for the Muslim community in France and puts an end to the years of work by our associations in fighting against Islamophobia and racism," the statement added.
- Controversial editions
Charlie Hebdo triggered controversy in February 2006 when it ran a front page with the headline: "Mohammad overwhelmed by fundamentalists." It pictured a tearful Prophet Mohammad saying, "It's hard being loved by jerks."
The anti-religious and left-wing magazine also reprinted 12 cartoons first published by Danish magazine Jyllands-Posten in 2005 -- which triggered outrage among Muslims around the world -- along with some extra ones produced by its own staff.
Its offices suffered an arson attack in 2011 and its website was hacked a day after it renamed a special edition "Charia Hebdo" and listed the Prophet Mohammed as its editor-in-chief.
Founded in 1969 and published every Wednesday, the magazine also ran additional special editions.
- ‘Je suis Charlie’
Thousands of French citizens have gathered in Place de La Republique, holding up pens and press cards in a symbolic act to defend "freedom of press."
Around 5,000 people gathered in central Paris responding to calls from the France Journalists Syndicate and press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders.
A number of other rallies are reportedly being organized in cities across France such as Angers, Bourdeaux, Lyon and Strasbourg.
Political cartoonists from around the world reacted on twitter by publishing cartoons dedicated to the victims of the attack.
A campaign was launched on twitter with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, or I am Charlie, to show solidarity with the victims and support the magazine.
According to social media analytics website Topsy, the hashtag has been tweeted more than 130,000 times today.
