Canada Law Enforcement Coordinates With Paris Agents; Thousands Attend Rallies, Vigils in Key Global Cities

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney has disclosed RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) agents have gone to Paris to coordinate with French security agencies, as thousands of people held rallies and vigils across Canada in honour of the 12 killed in the brutal Charlie Hebdo attack on January 7.

Blaney, who went to Paris over the weekend to lay a wreath at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo and extend Canada's respects, told CTV's Question Period the two countries will share information as well as technical expertise in order to launch a concerted fight against ruthless terroristic attacks. "It's really moving to be here at this point in time," he said.

On Sunday, Canada join a global wide unity rally, linking arms with other world leaders, including French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rally, participated by around 3 million people in France alone, honoured the 17 victims of three days of terror.

In Canada, thousands of people marched in downtown Montreal as well as in Quebec City to stage their own rally and show solidarity to the attacks that rampaged Paris. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre led the march that ended at the French Consulate. People chanted "Charlie" over and over. Premier Philippe Couillard led the one in Quebec City.

In Toronto, people showed support to the victims of the ruthless Paris attacks via a silent protest action that involved only pens, signs and flowers. The government in Halifax flew the flag at half-mast at the city's Grand Parade Square. People also held up pens in support of press freedom.

Vancouver also joined in. Hundreds showed up at the Vancouver Art Gallery to participate in a march through Vancouver. People proudly held placards that said, "Je suis Charlie," and "Not Afraid."

"Nothing can really make you come to terms with such barbaric acts, but it certainly is a validation of how people of all faiths and all colours can come together peacefully," Fabienne Thuet, who holds a dual Canadian and French citizenship, told the Canadian Press. "In a way the terrorists have achieved exactly the opposite of what they wanted to do and that's a beautiful testimony to what we can do as human beings."

Shahina Siddiqui, executive director of the Islamic Social Services Association based in Winnipeg, quoted by Global News, said right to free speech works both ways. In as much as she said she believes and highly upholds freedom of expression, and that an organisation has a claim to that, the opposite end it is targeting likewise has a right to respond.

"If somebody feels that it is OK to hurt and offend a religious community, then that religious community also has a right to respond," she was quoted saying on The West Block with Tom Clark. While right to free speech is a certainty, it's not necessarily an absolute. However, the best way the attackers should have responded to the bad mouthing of the Islam faith was through conversation, Siddiqui said.

She said policing can only go so far because both ends both have rights to express themselves. "I think the (best) response has to be that we speak up, that we say this has offended us and why it has offended us so that we can have a conversation," Siddiqui said.