Hong Kong’s tears, solidarity for Paris: French community in shock, candle-lit vigil planned

Thousands of French citizens in Hong Kong were in shock and desperate to know family and friends in Paris were safe after horrific terrorist attacks were unleashed on Friday.

“We all woke up this morning to this terrible news,” said Betty Grisoni, a Hong Kong resident for 15 years.

IN PICTURES: How Hong Kong and the world mourned for Paris

“We are not only in shock because lots of people were killed but most of us don’t know whether our family or friends are OK. 

“I don’t know where my brother is and he lives near the Bataclan concert hall,” Grisoni said yesterday afternoon, referring to the theatre where almost 100 people were killed in one of the six coordinated terror attacks on Friday evening, local time, in Paris. 

A candlelight vigil was held tonight at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sheung Wan, which French Consul General Eric Berti attended.

“The violence of these attacks is unprecedented in France,” he said yesterday evening, after emergency talks with the French ambassador in Beijing to discuss how consular staff would support French nationals living in Hong Kong and mainland China. 

READ MORE: World stands behind France: mourners condemn the terror attacks in Paris with vigils and landmark buildings lit to resemble French flag