Paris attacks elicit strong response from Calgarians
CBC News | Posted: November 14, 2015 5:23 PM | Last Updated: November 16, 2015
Social media flooded with emotion on Friday, as people grappled with the French terror spree
Image | Paris attacks, Calgary Tower lights
Caption: The Calgary Tower was lit up with the colors of the French flag to show support and sympathy for the Paris attacks. (Larry MacDougal/Canadian Press)
Social media is the new town centre, and Calgarians joined a global chorus on Friday to share their feelings and their thoughts after the gruesome attacks in Paris.
Amanda Lindhout, a woman who knows terror in a very real sense after being kidnapped and held hostage in Somalia, summed up the feelings of a majority on Twitter on Friday when she called for understanding and urged people not to blame refugees, who are often victims of extremism themselves.
And there was also anger that Paris has produced such an outpouring, including official safety warnings on Facebook, while attacks in Beirut elicited comparative silence.
There were also vain efforts to stem the tide of false information and false imagery that flooded Twitter on Friday, with images from last year's Charlie Hebdo attack shared continuously, and images of attacks elsewhere clouding the conversation.
Despite some of the anger and frustration, Calgarians celebrated the show of solidarity in the city, with McMahon Stadium, the Langevin Bridge and the Calgary Tower all lit up in the colours of France.