ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Parisians Are Tweeting #PorteOuverte To Offer Shelter

Update: 12:45 a.m.: A U.S. official present in a Justice Department briefing says that there are still 70 U.S. citizens in France that have not yet been accounted for, per the AP. The same official says that the Justice Department was unaware of any possible threats made against Paris. However, no Americans have been reported dead. Facebook has also activated its Safety Check feature to allow people in Paris to report their status.

This is developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available. For ongoing, breaking news coverage of the attacks in Paris, click here.

After a series of shootings and explosions shocked Paris Friday night, Parisians have turned to Twitter to offer support to those in need.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Those in the area of the attacks have been tweeting with the hashtag #PorteOuverte to reach out and offer a place to stay for those affected by the attacks. "Porte ouverte," which translates to "open door," is quickly overtaking Twitter. People located in the area of the attacks started the hashtag, although it is now also being used by people tweeting their support from across France and around the world.
French President François Hollande declared a state of emergency across France, and announced that the republic will close its borders. "We must in these harsh moments think about the victims, who are very numerous, for their families, for the wounded," Hollande said. "We have to be compassionate. We have to be united and keep a cold head. " Hollande also imposed a curfew, which hasn't happened since World War II. For those stranded in the city, however, Parisians came together and started offering their homes for those in need.
Taxi drivers are also reportedly turning off their meters and giving people stranded on Parisian streets free rides to shelter.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

More from Global News

ADVERTISEMENT