A message from Eduardo Paes, C40 Chair and Mayor of Rio de Janeiro
Today, on behalf of C40’s 82 member cities and all our staff, I offer our solidarity, unshakeable friendship and condolences to Mayor Hidalgo and the people of Paris.
Last night’s cowardly atrocities were an assault on the people of Paris and my sympathies go out to everyone who has lost a loved one, or been injured or traumatised themselves. I know that every mayor in C40 will want to join me in offering Mayor Hidalgo and her team whatever support is needed as Paris rebuilds and protects itself. These are the events that every mayor dreads. But I know also that in Mayor Hidalgo and her fantastic team, the people of Paris have the best possible people to lead them through this awful time.
As a community of the world’s greatest cities, outrages like those inflicted on Paris yesterday affect us all. This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was aimed at ordinary Parisians, black and white, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Buddhist, young and old, residents and visitors. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, with the sole objective of dividing the wonderfully diverse people of Paris. Its aim was to undermine democracy and freedom, by people whose twisted ideology offers nothing that will enhance life and liberty.
The great cities of the world, like Paris and C40’s 81 other members, are magnets for the most energetic, creative, intelligent and determined people from across the globe, precisely because they are places where people from all backgrounds can be free to be themselves, living side by side in harmony. In C40 we come together to share the experiences and successes that emerge out of these cosmopolitan melting pots, and we also share the pain when one of our number is under attack.
Mayors across the C40 have been turning their cities' iconic monuments and landmarks red, white and blue in solidarity with the citizens of Paris. As Chair of C40 I offer a message of unity and solidarity on behalf of our network: Aujourd’hui, nous sommes tous Parisiens. Today, we are all Parisians.