Samuel Paty, a history teacher from France was beheaded after he reportedly showed cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a civics lesson, crowds gathered throughout France on Sunday to pay tribute to the 47 – year – old .
Thousands convened in Paris’ Place de la République, with the sounds of applause, the French national anthem and a solemn minute of silence as Rallies formed in cities including Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Marseille and Bordeaux.
Attendees at demonstrations across the country carried signs reading “I am Samuel” and “I am a teacher,” according to BBC.
France is reeling from the killing, which took place in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine on Friday.
According to police, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee attacked Paty near the school and cut his throat, before posting a graphic claim of responsibility on social media. Police fatally shot the attacker after he acted threateningly and did not respond to commands to disarm, authorities said.
Shortly after, President Emmanuel Macron characterized it as “an Islamist terrorist attack” and said the teacher was targeted because he “taught freedom of expression.”