live to rory chal and where the march began.eally historic day for france 1.5 million people marching through the streets of paris. >> reporter: yeah. they are expecting maybe a million and as you say, the numbers that we think did turn out far in excess of that and very quiet there down there in the place de la republic. a few hundred people around the statue. i can see candles being left in memorial mem morium to the people who died this week. very different just a few hours ago, though. this place here was absolutely crammed full of people and noise, en after the march was supposed to have started. it doesn't look like people were moving but they were. it was just that as people left the square to head on down to the place de la nation there were thousands more coming in from the side streets arrange. it's a truly extraordinary day that comes at the end of what has been an extraordinary and traumatic week for france. >> arm in arm, shuffling, maybe a little uneasily but an historic moment numone the let's, presidents prime mi

this picture, temporarily blocked out perhaps by an enthusiastic poster wafer, from my colleague rory chalnd's above, up above from ground level. let's again talk to some of the demonstrators at ground level if we come back down again. they likewise have their posters up. we will have to take them down just for a second so we can see. why is it important to be here? why are you here? >> liberte for france is an old story, and like drawing or writing, and this is not surprising to see everybody outside today by family with kids. everybody here, it's normal just people. >> reporter: families across the generations, one thing i have noticed, across religion and not just france as well. >> yeah. >> reporter: from other countries? >> in 1798, an old story. for us fits separation by the religion and the government. >> reporter: protecting the values of the revolution? >> exactly. it's nice to be free. >> reporter: what's your message to the world leaders? >> thank you very much and the one who is muslim i want to give the message to all of the people islam never suffered terrorism. islam never s

rory chal and, al jazeera, pairingslands, al jazeera, pairings following this developing story since the initial assault on the charlie hebdo offices. what's it like in paris right now? >> reporter: i think it's remarkable driving around. we were doing a number of interviews today in news gathering. everywhere you go, you still see a lot of people especially down at the scene of the shooting on wednesday at the newspaper offices of "charlie hebdo." a lot of people feeling like the prime minister said today, it is unbearable when you really think the people were simply killed for who they are, a policeman, being a journalist being a jew. there is a lot of indignation. there is some sense of relief that for the moment the violence has stopped but everywhere you go so much security richelle on the streets. soldiers marching past the train station. i covered a lot of differently stories. there was a tremendous amount of security here, no doubt, especially as we approach that big march tomorrow. so, the security makes people feel a little bit better but it also reminds them copnstanted th