Vigil for Paris and Beirut held in St. John's
Nearly 100 people gathered at the War Memorial in St. John's Sunday to light candles, sing songs and show support to the people of Paris and Beirut.
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The vigil was organized by St-Pierre-Miquelon native Stephanie Bowring, who said she felt she needed to do something after hearing of the attacks.
"I'm from St. Pierre, and I lived the past 10 years in Paris, so this really hit close to home," said Bowring.
Bowring said a friend of hers was killed in the attack at Le Bataclan concert hall in Paris on Friday.
"Even without that, it's an attack, yet again on our liberty. They want to spread terror and we can't let that happen," says Bowring.
While Bowring's personal connection is to Paris, she stressed that the vigil Sunday was also in solidarity with the people of Beirut.
On Thursday, Beirut was the victim of a double-suicide attack by ISIS that left 43 dead.
Far in distance, but not from thoughts
Bowring said despite the distance, people in this province can still show their support for those in Paris and Beirut.
"Newfoundlanders are people who have fought for freedom," she said.
"They've always shown how determined they could be, so the turnout today is proof of that."
At the rally, visitors laid flowers and made signs to pay their respects to those who lost their lives.
Bowring said it was a show of resilience and determination in light of the events in Paris and Beirut this past week.
"We have to celebrate our culture, our freedom, and our lifestyle," says Bowring.
"The goal of terrorism is to spread terror, so if we become afraid and stop living to the fullest, we cave in and they've won."
