Mags GarganAn Irish priest based in Paris said a palpable sense of grief and anger remains in the city following the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.
Fr Dwayne Gavin, a native of Kells, Co. Meath studying in Paris and serving as chaplain to the Irish community, said that coupled with sadness and a sense of loss is a deep anger at what Parisians “see as an intolerance on the part of some to accept and respect the right of others to hold views and profess a faith that is different to theirs”.
“Many people feel very angry that every Jewish school in France has now had to be placed under police protection,” he said.
“While Parisians have shown amazing resilience and courage at returning to life as normal this week, a troubling question at the back of all our minds is when will our freedom be attacked again and what needs to happen for those who are so uncomfortable with that freedom to realise that violence is never the answer.”