Thousands Rally Across France After Attacks

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Tens of thousands of people have staged rallies across France after three days of terror that claimed 17 innocent lives.

At least 30,000 people took part in a silent rally in southern city of Pau and more than 22,000 gathered in Orleans, southwest of Paris, according to initial police figures.

Large crowds also turned out in the southern city of Nice and Caen, in the northwest.

It comes ahead of a march of unity in Paris on Sunday which is expected to draw huge crowds and will be attended by leaders from across the world, including Prime Minister David Cameron.

France's Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has said the government will take "all measures" to ensure the march is safe.

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Gallery: Tens Of Thousands Rally Over Paris Attacks

A huge stream of people, estimated to contains hundreds of thousands of people, takes to the sea front in Nice

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Those at the head of the march carried at a banner that echoed the statement repeated by those opposed to the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine - "Je suis Charlie"

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Many in the crowd also held banners with the same slogan

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The country's defence ministry has said it is sending another 500 soldiers into the greater Paris area, meaning there are now some 1,350 troops there.

Security forces have been deployed around the capital, guarding places of worship and tourist sites.

In a sombre speech after the sieges had been brought to an end, French President Francois Hollande said: "I call on all the French people to rise up this Sunday, together, to defend the values of democracy, freedom and pluralism to which we are attached."

Brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi attacked the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, shooting dead 12 people in France's deadliest terror attack in decades.

The pair then went on the run, and were eventually killed after a two-day manhunt.

Amedy Coulibaly, a jihadist gunman who said he had worked with the brothers, was also killed by police after killing four hostages at a kosher grocery shop in an eastern suburb of Paris.

A day earlier he shot and killed a policewoman in Montrouge, just south of Paris.

Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, who was identified along with Coulibaly as a suspect in the killing of a police officer on Thursday, remains on the run.

Jewish groups plan to hold a vigil after sunset on Saturday to mourn the four people killed at the supermarket.

:: Watch Sky News Special Report: Paris Attack at 4.30pm and 8.30pm. See it on skynews.com, our mobile apps and on Sky News - channels Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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