Cardiff’s people came together at the National Assembly for Wales to support the French after the terror attacks, following a ‘Cardiff is Paris’ prompt online.
Carlyne Gibb created the original Facebook event for the Senedd vigil. The young woman lived in Paris for three years and felt the need to show her loved ones in France that they were not alone. “I wanted to send photos to show that Cardiff and the entire world stands with them,” she explains. Local newspapers and word of mouth helped spread the word, showing a massive wave of solidarity for the French two days after the capital’s mass shooting.
“I was hugely touched by the show of people,” says the organizer. Carlyne stresses on the fact the vigil was not promoted as ‘Pray for Paris’ event but rather a ‘Cardiff Is Paris’ event: “I am keen that it not have religious connotations so that everyone, no matter what religion, felt they could attend. In France #JeSuisParis was trending so I wanted to echo that.”
#Cardiff Bay vigil for the people of Paris. https://t.co/qxhWJFhwUa #Paris pic.twitter.com/qAlXmF2uAt
— Mark Hawkins (@MHphotos_) November 15, 2015
Hundreds joined, making #CardiffisParis trend on social media. A small vigil was organized outside Cardiff Castle for people unable to reach Cardiff Bay.
