Jan. 12--Hundreds of people gathered Sunday afternoon at Daley Plaza to show solidarity with the millions in France who rallied after a spate of terrorist attacks there that left 17 dead.
"Are you afraid?" rally organizer Eve Zuckerman shouted over a bullhorn in French and English.
"No," replied a crowd dotted with French and American flags.
"We stand together -- French and Americans for freedom and for freedom of expression," Zuckerman said.
During the rally, children and parents sang and lit candles, placing some in front of the names of the French victims pasted on heart-shaped signs. Names of the those killed were called out before a moment of silence at the plaza.
Two French teachers at Lycee Francais de Chicago, an international school in the Uptown neighborhood, said the gathering was a good place to grieve openly and express the shock and sadness that they had shared only at their school or while reading Facebook posts from friends and family in France.
"It was unbelievable," teacher Pauline Pilon said. "We never had that big of an attack since 1945. It's kind of incredible that these kinds of things can happen in France."
The teachers said no news outlet in the United States compares to the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. They described it as a mix of TV shows "The Daily Show," "Mad TV" and "South Park."
"Super irreverent," Pilon said. "Smart, funny, provocative. It was made to make you think. It was not supposed to be hurtful."
It has been difficult to be in Chicago during the attacks, said Zuckerman, who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and France and has lived in Chicago four years. But it was heartening to see friends from around the world at the rally, chanting and singing, she said.
"They know that France was under attack, but what it really means is anyone who is for freedom and for tolerance is also under attack," Zuckerman said.
Three American teachers of French held "Je Suis Charlie" signs and said they attended the rally to make a statement for free speech, tolerance and to show solidarity with the French, who marched the same day at Place de la Nation, a public square in Paris.
"This is our Place de la Nation," said Margot Steinhart, past president of American Association of Teachers of French. "So that we can really make a statement to the world -- it's not just something ... that just happened this week and it's over. It's something that we are going to keep with us, just like 9/11."
mmrodriguez@tribpub.com
Twitter @merjourn
