Lancaster pays its respects to Paris

Hundreds of students gathered in Alexandra Square


Today a crowd gathered in Alexandra Square to mourn the tragic murders that occurred on Friday in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad at the hands of terrorists.

The event, Pray for Paris, was organised on Facebook by Théo Maufrais and Maxime Romain, two French undergraduate students studying abroad at the university.

A crowd gathers to pay their respects.

Théo said: “Me and Max thought to do a Facebook event the morning after we heard what happened.” Originally from Paris, he said: “Coming here from France, we felt a duty to do something.”

Théo Maufrais says a few words before a silence is observed

Hundreds of people showed up to the rally, in support of peace and remembrance, and a minute’s silence was observed, followed by a chorus of both the French and English national anthems.

Faustas Stoncius, one of the many people who attended, said that the event was: “Important for the university as a community, to show support to France and Lancaster’s French students.”