Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Photos: Crowd Gathers At Los Feliz French Cafe In Solidarity With Charlie Hebdo

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Over a hundred people gathered outside French bistro Figaro in Los Feliz last night to show support for the 12 victims who were brutally murdered on Wednesday at France's Charlie Hebdo office. This was one of the many vigils that took place around the world last night, including New York.

Crowds held up signs and their phones, which lit up with the message, "Je Suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) along Vermont Avenue. The solidarity movement was first started by a group of French students from a Redondo Beach language school, but grew as the night went on, reported CBS Los Angeles.

Police officers, editors and cartoonists who were at Charlie Hedbo, a French satirical newspaper, were shot and killed by at least three masked men with automatic weapons. The terrorist attack may have been in retaliation against the newspaper for their comics that ridiculed the Prophet Mohammad. One of the gunmen has reportedly turned himself in, while authorities are still searching for two other suspects.

Gaston (who only went by his first name), a member of the French community, told VICE why he was at the vigil in Los Feliz: "I heard that a lot of French people were gonna be here, so I just came to support the families over in France. I want to see my country come together, and I don't want them to mistake Muslim people for terrorist people. Muslim people make their own stuff, and it's really good. I don't want French people to think the shooters are just Muslim."

Here are some photos from last night's vigil outside of Figaro:

Sponsored message

Here's video of the vigil outside of Figaro:

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today