Thousands flood France’s streets to honor victims of Charlie Hebdo shooting and hostage crisis

Hundreds of thousands continued to rally in the streets of France on Saturday to support free speech and honor the victims of this week’s terrorist attacks.

The rallies across the country were marked by relative quiet, out of respect for the fallen, despite the massive size of the crowds.

French Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters that around 700,000 people participated.

A procession of more than 20,000 went through the streets of Le Mans, located on the Sarthe River, around 3:30 p.m.

Demonstrators stopped in front of a mosque in what the French TV channel France 3 described as “a beautiful display of solidarity and compassion.”

Members of the city’s Muslim community gathered outside their place of worship to pass out roses to the passing marchers holding “Je Suis Charlie” signs.

Men and women marched behind banners that opposed fanaticism and supported the freedom of expression.

A massive, silent march was held at 11 a.m. in Nice, a city located on the southeast coast, reported Nice-Matin, a regional newspaper.

Local police say about 23,000 people turned out for the procession, but other estimates put that figure at over 30,000.

More than 37,000 took to the streets in the northern city of Lille, La Voix du Nord reported.

Spectators applauded as the men, women and children walked by during the overcast day, which was punctuated by rain and wind.

Initial estimates said about 10,000 people took part, but it soon became abundantly clear that this figure was far too low.

There were no banners for any political parties, and elected officials simply blended in with the crowds in a show of equality, according to the local paper.

Similarly, a rally in the city of Nantes, in the west of France on the Loire River, drew thousands of demonstrators, bringing traffic to a halt. France 3 reports that more than 80,000 turned out.

Many protesters held large signs championing the French ideal of living together — free, equal and united.

On Friday night, Paris’ world-famous Arc de Triomphe lit up with a simple variation on the “Je Suis Charlie” slogan: “Paris est Charlie.” British comedian Stephen Fry tweeted an image of the landmark, commenting, “Yes, our world WILL triumph over darkness & brute ignorance. It surely will.”

At least 19 people were killed, including three attackers, in the worst wave of terrorist violence on French soil in decades, starting with the murder of 12 at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper’s office building on Wednesday and ending in two hostage crises on Friday.

Parisians could also be seen leaving messages of love and flowers outside the Charlie Hebdo offices.

Authorities are still searching for 26-year-old Hayat Boumeddiene, who is still at large and believed to be armed and dangerous. She is suspected of being an accomplice to the Muslim extremists.