week3-French expats pay tribute to victims of terror attack

Hundreds of people showed up for a silent sit-in in Taipei last night organized by a group of French people living in Taiwan “in memory of the victims of the attack on the offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris” and to show support for the freedom of expression.

The gathering, titled “Nous sommes Charlie” on Facebook, took place at Liberty Square last night, with people carrying placards reading “Je suis Charlie” and “Nous sommes Charlie” in French and Chinese. First standing and later sitting around an installation carrying a poster reading “我們是Charlie” (“We are Charlie”) and showing the 12 victims, the participants remained silent, some with lit candles.

Pierre-Yves Baubry, one of the initiators of yesterday’s event, said what happened in Paris “has shocked France and the French people living abroad. In many cities around the world people have gathered in the same way as [we are] tonight.”

He said besides the gathering in Taipei, there was also an event taking place simultaneously in Kaohsiung, both organized by French people living in Taiwan with the help of Taiwanese friends.

“There are two main significations; first is to mourn the victims in solidarity with the families, and also to support freedom of speech and freedom of the press” since the terrorist act was obviously targeted at the magazine for what it has expressed, he said.

“I felt the same way as I felt after 9/11,” said Florian, a French citizen who went to the vigil yesterday. “These journalists and cartoonists were part of our life; [the French people] grew up with them, who were not only working for one newspaper, but many.”

“They represent liberty of speech and freedom of what we could say and even think,” he said.

Nicolas, a French expatriate who has been living in Taiwan for more than 10 years, said the rally is to say that “we are not afraid of the [terrorist act]” and that “everybody has stood up against this barbarity and killing.”

“This is the worst [terrorist] attempt in France in the past 50 years. It was a great shock to France and all over the world not only for the attack itself, as 12 people have died, but also because it is a direct attack on the freedom of expression and press,” Bureau Francais de Taipei Director Olivier Richard said.

Worldwide people are demonstrating like people here are today,” he said, adding that the French office also held a minutes’ silence on Thursday morning and has opened a book of condolence.          

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2015/01/10/2003608904

week2-Sydney café, hostage

A lone gunman kept terrified staff and customers captive into the night yesterday in a downtown Sydney cafe, brandishing an Islamic flag, as five of his hostages managed to flee for their lives.

The pre-Christmas siege of the Lindt Chocolat Cafe triggered a security lockdown in an area of Australia’s biggest city that houses several government and corporate headquarters, as hundreds of armed police surrounded the site.

The government said there was no clear motivation, but the flag appeared to be one commonly used by jihadist groups bearing the Shahada, or profession of faith in Islam.

More than 40 Australian Muslim groups jointly condemned the siege and the use of the flag, which they said had been hijacked by “misguided individuals that represent no-one but themselves.”

“We reject any attempt to take the innocent life of any human being or to instill fear and terror into their hearts,” they said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott convened a national security meeting to deal with the “disturbing” development.

About six hours into the siege, three men emerged from the popular cafe and ran from the building, two from the front door and one from an emergency exit.

About an hour later two distraught women also fled. It was not clear if they escaped or were released.

One was barista Elly Chen, whose sister Nicole said on Facebook: “Yessss I finally see you. I’m so glad you’re safe!!!!”

As the siege neared its 12th hour last night, basic questions remained unanswered. Police refused to say how many hostages were inside the cafe, what they believed the gunman’s motives might be or whether he had made any demands.

They also did not rule out the possibility that there might be more than one suspect inside.

“I would like to give you as much as I can, but right now that is as much as I can,” New South Wales Police commissioner Andrew Scipione said. “First and foremost, we have to make sure we do nothing that could in any way jeopardize those still in the building.”

Police were negotiating with a suspect and said they had no information to suggest that anyone had been hurt.

Scipione said they had not confirmed whether the siege was related to terrorism.

“Our only goal tonight and for as long as this takes is to get those people that are currently caught in that building out of there safely,” he said.

Channel 10 news said it received a video in which a hostage inside the cafe had relayed demands by the gunman. The station said police requested they not broadcast it, and Scipione separately asked all media outlets that might be contacted by the man to urge him to talk to police instead.

The incident began at about 9:45am in Martin Place, a plaza in the heart of the city’s financial and shopping district that is packed with holiday shoppers this time of year.

Television video shot through the cafe’s windows showed several people with their arms in the air and hands pressed against the glass, and two people holding up a black flag with the Shahada written on it.

“I walked up to the door and then everyone was sitting down and the door’s locked which is pretty weird because it’s never locked and there was one guy walking around with a hat and a beard,” a man who identified himself as Bruno, a worker at the cafe, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp, referring to the suspected assailant. He said he then turned away.                                                                                          http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2014/12/16/2003606841

Structure of the Lead：

WHO- A lone gunman

WHEN- the night yesterday

What- brandishing an Islamic flag, as five of his hostages managed to flee for their lives.

WHY- there was no clear motivation

WHERE- a downtown Sydney cafe

  

HOW-not given

Keywords:

1.    brandishing 揮舞

2.    assailant 兇手