Paris attacks: Parisians are sad but 'not angry,' Winnipegger says

Parisians are sad but not angry over Friday's attacks that killed at least 129 people, a former Winnipegger living in Paris says.

Holly Rose said she lives about a 20-minute bike-ride away from where the attacks took place. She often goes to the restaurants and concert hall that were targeted, she said.

Rose didn't leave her home Saturday, but did look down on the street from her window.

"The few people who were outside were not interacting with each other. They were all in dark colours, they were moving very slowly. The sky was grey …  it was very sombre," she said.

"It was hard to see people crying in the streets and it's hard to put ourselves in the place of the people who lost their lives because it could've been us and it could've been our friends."

She said she was surprised at first that there were no riots.

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"All of my friends who are from Paris, the general sentiment is nobody is angry. People are sad, but they're not angry," said Rose. "They're not angry. They're upset. They're sad and they're hurt."

Rose said a lot of the people who live in her neighbourhood are young, left-leaning and politically well-informed.

"Everyone understands that to take their anger or disappointment out on any religious group is an ignorant move. No one here, as far as my social group goes … no one is lashing out at anyone in particular. They're just sad that people got killed."

On Sunday, her and her partner left their home for the first time since the attacks and went out for a walk.

"When we were out for brunch, it was full of people and it was lively and there were church bells ringing and the sun was out — I didn't feel fearful at all," Rose said. "I didn't feel unsafe…. All I feel is empathy for the lives lost."