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Conflicts

Eiffel Tower blacks out to honor Aleppo

December 15, 2016

The tower's famed lights were turned off Wednesday night in solidarity with the people caught in the besieged Syrian city. Fighting between government forces and rebel groups continued to rage during the day.

https://p.dw.com/p/2UHuF
Frankreich Eiffelturm
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Lopez

Paris' iconic monument was plunged into complete darkness at 8:00 pm local time (1900 UTC) in what Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said was a protest against the "unbearable" situation facing civilians in Aleppo.

"This symbolic measure at a building known worldwide will aim to once again alert the international community to the need for urgent action," the mayor's office said in a statement.

Fighting between Syrian government forces and rebel groups raged during the day after a ceasefire truce and evacuation agreement derailed.

As Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have moved in to retake full control of Syria's second city, Aleppo has been hit by one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory.

Several hundred people in Paris marched in support of Aleppo residents on Wednesday. Many were wearing a red cloth to symbolize the blood that has been spilled during the fierce civil war that over five years has effectively wiped out the city and devastated much of the rest of the country.

dm/kl (AFP, Reuters)