World leaders join historic Paris march for attack victims

More than a million people and dozens of world leaders were expected to march through Paris on Jan. 11 in a historic display of global defiance against extremism after Islamist attacks that left 17 dead.
      
In an unprecedented show of unity, the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will both attend the rally to honour the victims of three days of bloodshed that claimed the lives of both Jews and a Muslim police officer.
      
Security was beefed up as the City of Light reeled from the Islamist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket, with thousands of extra troops and police deployed to guard the march and snipers positioned along the route.
      
"I have no doubt that millions of citizens will come to express their love of liberty, their love of fraternity," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told an emotional rally on Saturday near where a gunman killed four hostages at the supermarket.
      
In a foretaste of the demonstration, more than 700,000 people poured onto the streets of cities across France on Saturday, many carrying banners reading "jesuischarlie" (I am Charlie), the tribute to Charlie Hebdo that has been the global rallying point in the wake of the slaughter.
      
Many brandished pens to symbolise freedom of expression after Charlie Hebdo was targeted for its cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammed.
      
"The real battle is to defend freedom of thought," said 40-year-old Yamina, tears in her eyes, at a rally in the southern city of Marseille.
                      
Along with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, the king and queen of Jordan will be present and a host of top European leaders, including...