In the wake of the stunning wave of bombings, shootouts, and hostage situations that unfolded in Paris on Friday, French President Francois Hollande has closed the French border.
Addressing the nation, President Francois Hollande called on everyone to remain strong and show “compassion and unity.”
“There is much to fear, but we must face these fears as a nation that knows how to muster its forces and will confront the terrorists,” the president said.
He declared a state of emergency and called for more army assistance.
The dramatic move came amid a situation in the streets of Paris that will likely go down in history as one of the more daring terrorist attacks in history.
A series of bombs echoed through the streets followed by sporadic gunfire. What unfolded afterwards turned the streets into a veritable war zone with 129 killed, 352 injured and a hostage situation involving some 100 people.
The move to close the border will likely serve as a rallying cry for those who oppose the accommodation of the millions of refugees seeking asylum in Europe. The President ended his speech with “Vive la Republique et Vive la France.”
