tice. the ministers will be circulating information in this regard. >> if you are just joining us now, we were listening to belgian authorities on the ongoing situation. as we saw in the past 24 hours a major antiterrorist week taking place in belgium. we heard from the belgian prime minister speaking sometimes in

french and flemish addressing, congratulating law enforcement for the operations they carried out as well as thanking french authorities for shared information concerning all of the suspects that have been detained. we are going to join our brussels correspondent in a moment. first, we are going to cross in paris to city hall where u.s. secretary of state john kerry is addressing people there. it looks as if this is a moment of silence being held at city hall in the center of paris.

[moment of silence] >> [speaking french] >> [introductions in french] >> representatives of the civil authorities, police, ladies and gentlemen, parisiens, i am particularly moved to welcome today with you here today in this historic building the city hall, the secretary of state of

the united states, john kerry, a friend who has come with a message of affection, support, solidarity. i am very grateful to him. i wanted this short meeting to reflect paris, to reflect what we are. i want to men and women who are working every day who have responsibilities in the voluntary sector, political responsibilities, who look after our children in our school day living in line with our values. i would like to thank and pay tribute to all of the families of the victims of these assassinations, of these terrorist acts, which shook us, have shaken our city and country, and the world as a whole.

i would also like to pay tribute to the heroes among them, the police, law enforcement organizations, which attacked and have carried out these difficult operations with great skill. i would also like to pay tribute to the heroes, notably the young fellow citizen he will soon be given french nationality. a citizen from mali who made it possible to save the lives of many people who were in the kosher supermarket. he and the manager is here today. this young person saved a lot of lives. we have experienced a very difficult period with drama, tragedy. the people of france have risen to the occasion to say no to

barbarity, no to the objectives of the terrorists as described by them. the terrorists wanted to attack freedom of expression, freedom of speech, by attacking "charlie hebdo." freedom of expression, speech, and secularism which is one of the factors which allows this freedom of speech. some of us this morning accompanied the family and friends of charles. funerals are currently taking place. freedom of expression, secularism, but also the terrorists also wanted to attack the authority of the republic attacking police officers. the terrorists also wanted to

attack a fundamental element of our history, the presence of jews in france and in paris, by attacking this kosher supermarket. we rebelled against this, and we said we don't accept and will never accept these values of the republic to be attacked. in paris these values are particularly important because paris is the city where many of these values were designed developed, and it is where the declaration of the rights of man was published. many members of the jewish community settled in paris in the 18th century because they were fleeing from progress --

pogroms in other parts of europe. paris was recognized as the city where the jewish community could hold its meetings and house its institutions so this city has a special history with the values of republic. we are not the only guarantor's of these values, but we want to defend them. in the city hall of paris, the secretary of state, the city hall of paris has witnessed many great historic events. the commune of paris industry city hall, dramatic events. revolutionaries also were fighting for secularism and equality between men and women and equality among all our fellow citizens. i wanted to remind you all of this because this is what unites us. this is what brings us together,

even though we may each have different views. the beauty of democracy is to accept controversy. this city, as you have come to visit us here this morning and you pay tribute to the victims by visiting the places where these attacks to raise -- took place. i wish to say the city is a friend of the united states of america. as soon as the world heard these terrorist attacks have occurred, i received a telephone call from bill de blasio, the mayor of new york. he immediately called me to express his solidarity, his affection, and the fact he supported us and that he showed his friendship and compassion. i have also received many messages from the mayors of

other american cities. between our cities, there is a great history of friendship. today we are part of a network of french speaking american cities. they are part of the international organization i preside over. i chair and organization of french-speaking mayors. in lafayette in the u.s. next year, we will be holding a meeting of french-speaking cities. this is very significant. i would like to conclude this speech by saying that our friendship goes back a long way. it goes back to lafayette. recently, we have had the honor of holding ceremonies, memorial ceremonies, which were very moving, moved a lot of us.

i am referring to the commemoration of the liberation of france. in this liberation and commemoration there was something of fundamental importance the liberation of paris in 1944 which was the result of a precedent -- parisienne insurrection by the internal resistance which witnessed support of our allied forces and notably the americans. i wanted to remind you of this. these are historical events which we have not forgotten. although we are here today because of our friendship, it is because of the history which we have been developing step i set -- by step its humanist story. thank you, john kerry, visiting us -- for visiting us. it is an immense honor to welcome you here, as the mayor

of paris, as the mayor of all parisiens. [applause] >> [introduction of john kerry in french] >> letter mayor -- madam mayor thank you for that generous welcome. thank you for reminding us of the extraordinary history that does tie us together. what an honor for me to be here in this historic building, which the mayor just talked about and shared some of the history. a moment ago in her office, she showed me a photograph of the resistance members sitting in her office in august of 1944. a reminder of the close

historic inescapable relationship between our countries. i appreciate your generous comments about all of our mayors . i know you have a warm relationship with them. not only am i and an historic building but i am with an historic mayor because she is the first woman to serve in this office. that is no small thing. it is a privilege for me to be here with you. i am particularly honored to be with members of the law enforcement community those who were so directly engaged and affected by the events. you honor us. you honor me and my country by being here today. we thank you so much for that. on the day of the living nightmare that began at "charlie

hebdo," i had a chance to share a few thoughts with you from back home in washington. today, i wanted to come here and share a hug with all of paris and all of france. i wanted to express to you personally the sheer horror and repulsion -- revulsion all americans felt for the cowardly and despicable act, the assault on innocent lives and on fundamental values. i want to thank resident blond -- president hollande and of course the mayor not only for their always generous welcome but for the grit and grace they have shown at this moment of testing for france. i also want to thank our embassy personnel, our ambassador, for their hard work and support to

the french people this past week. i particularly welcome these young kids who have come here to share a vision of the future. thank you. [speaking french] >> after this nightmare which began in the offices of "charlie hebdo," i shared with you some thoughts when i was still at home in washington. today, i wanted to be here with you in order to share with paris and the whole of france our deep feelings. i wanted to tell you personally the horror and revolt in -- repulsion -- repulsion -- re vulsio felt by all americansn faced by these cowardly and

terrible attacks against innocent victims and the fundamental values. i wish not only to thank president francois hollande, my friend the mayor, and the mayor of paris for the welcome, their always warm welcome but also i would like to congratulate the courage they have shown during this terrible ordeal which france has experienced. i would also like to pay tribute to the team of the u.s. embassy in paris, our ambassador, jane hartley, and the support she has given to the french people during these events. i represent a nation which is very proud of the fact that

france is its oldest ally. in the same way as lafayette crossed the atlantic ocean to support america, and in the same way general pershing and his men came to france a century ago shouting the same slogans as lafayette, "lafayette, here we are, back again." as we have to rise to the terrible challenges together, the united states and france will always be side-by-side and will persevere side-by-side will win, will vanquish over the days that have passed since january 5. some people say it was one of

the most painful hours experienced by france. but we must not forget the history of the country and people who over the decades over the centuries, have become, as another american who loved france and new france very well, he knew the price of conflict. the french became stronger, have become stronger. my mother is the source of my special affection for france and the source of my knowledge of its history. she participated in the historical events of world war ii. an american lady born in paris she became a nurse and she cared for the wounded. on the eve of the occupation of paris by the nazis, she fled

with her sister on a bicycle. they cycled across france. they fled under the bullets of the occupiers. they ended up in portugal where they managed to get onto a ship which took them to the united states. one of the most vivid memories i have of my youth was that of my first visit to france with my pants. it was the first time my mother returned to france since she had fled from france during world war ii. i remember the noise. we saw the ruins of paris that had been bombed and the home in

which she lived which was destroyed. only a stone staircase with a few chimneys stood. it was only years later i fully understood the incredible price paid by the generations in the resistance, the price they paid for freedom. the soldiers left the factories to save the world from tyranny. no nation knows better than france that freedom has a price because france was at -- originated many revolutions, including our own american revolution. our commitment in favor of freedom of speech, of expression as an inspiration for the world as a whole.

words are often powerless to describe the deep emotions i felt when i saw so many people from all over, from near and far, to parade, too much together -- to march together. those who wanted to divide us, ended up bringing us closer together. what the extremists. the most was precisely that. -- feared was precisely that. nobody must get this wrong. the extremists and terrorists don't understand, what they cannot understand, is that decency and courage will never give way to intimidation and terror. never. this reminds us of something else the fact that in the

deepest, darkest moments we can bring light. for a long time, fathers will be able to say to their children and grandchildren that during these nine last days following the infamous events of the seventh of january ordinary men and women suddenly became heroes. i am sure he will talk to them -- you will talk to them about the muslim from mali who risked his life to save jewish customers in the kosher supermarket. when he heard the attacker entering the supermarket he did not think of his own security, his safety. he helped over a dozen customers

to take refuge in the reserve of the supermarket. he warned the police. he alerted the police. his actions saved lives. when we asked him why he did that he simply answered, "we are brothers,. it is not a question of being jewish, christian, or muslim, we are all in the same boat and we must get out of this crisis." we must come out of this crisis together. i am sure you will talk about the pillar of his community dedicated to his family and passionately interested in his job as a policeman. he went to the offices of "charlie hebdo" and was face-to-face with the terrorists before being shot down savagely

by them and gratuitously. when his brother pay tribute to him, he said my brother was a muslim but he was shot down, he was killed by two false muslims. they are terrorists and nothing else. i am sure he will talk also about the young man -- you will talk also about the young men who had a great feature to try to neutralize a brutal terrorist and lost his life because of this courageous act. we will never forget these heroes. we will never forget the victims of this tragedy. the world is facing cowardly assassins hiding behind weapons

of war. that is the difference between ignorance and knowledge, between lies and truth between cruelty and generosity, between death and life. >> i know even as we speak, there are passionate debates over complex issues this tragedy has raised. but what should be beyond debate beyond the scope of politics or religion, satire, or culture, is the common aspiration to create a world rich in love and short on hate. so today i join with you in honoring those no longer with us and share with their loved ones the sadness of a loss -- of their loss but the pride in their lives. we will not descend into despair.

we will turn this moment of profound loss into lasting commitment. we accept with humility the responsibility that falls to each of us to defend the values our societies cherish and extremists fear the most. tolerance, freedom truth. in the end, our engagement, all of us in the struggle, is not a choice. it is a mandate. [speaking french] >> at this very moment when i am speaking to you debates are taking place on complex issues raised by this tragedy. but what should transcend this debate beyond political issues and religious issues or satire is our aspiration, our joint aspiration, to create a world

based on love and not hate. today in the city hall of paris i join you in painter be to those who have left us and aaa8ú÷gp÷