More Than 1,000 Gather on Boston Common to Support Paris

The French Consulate in Boston plans memorial at the Boston Common

Hundreds of people across Boston honored the victims of the deadly terror attacks in Paris Sunday.

More than 1,000 New Englanders gathered for a vigil on Boston Common shortly after a special Mass was held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

A memorial at the French Consulate continues to grow as support for France grows in the city - and that was never more apparent than it was on the Common.

The grounds around the bandstand were overflowing with emotion during the vigil of solidarity.

"Thank you to the people of New England," said Valery Freland, the French consulate general to Boston. "I would like to ask you for a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the terror attacks."

City, state and federal officials were on hand to show their support, but there was also a sea of New Englanders that included Kay Martin from Sharon, Massachusetts.

"Boston is like a sister city of Paris," she said.

Martin describes Paris as a second home, and she draws ties between these two cities because they both have been directly impacted by terrorism.

"We've been there, and we know how it feels, and I think our perspective is much closer to what's going on in Paris," said Martin.

Gov. Charlie Baker made it abundantly clear the level of support the Bay State shows for the City of Lights.

"We stand with Paris," he said. "There is simply no question about that."

In the crowd, there were tears, there were signs of support and there was silence as Boston paused for a for moment to pay respects to the more than 120 people killed and hundreds more injured in a city nearly 3,500 miles away.

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