One week after the terrorist massacre that shook France, Parisians on Friday were set to hold noisy and light-filled memorials even as the jittery government barred large public gatherings over security concerns.
On Friday, residents left flowers, lit candles or held quiet vigils outside the restaurants, cafes and concert halls hit in the attacks.
A group of artists and cultural figures called on people to mark the one-week anniversary with an outpouring of "noise and light" at 9:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. ET), the moment the assaults began.
"Let's make some noise and have some light so that they understand they have lost," one Twitter user said using the hashtag #21h20.
The defiant commemorations contrasted with a country that was still on high alert. Gunmen and suicide bombers killed 129 people in the attacks and injured more than 350 — the deadliest violence in Paris since World War II.
Worshippers at the Paris Central Mosque, the country's oldest, had planned to demonstrate to show solidarity after the attacks but the event was canceled for security concerns. A Paris soup kitchen was forced to suspend food distribution to avoid attracting a crowd.
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On Nov. 27, French President Francois Hollande will preside over a national ceremony honoring the victims of the attacks. The ceremony will be held at the gold-domed Hotel des Invalides, where Napoleon's tomb lies and which is seen as a symbol of France's military and international strength.
