As a series of bloody shootings unfolds across Paris tonight, Nov. 13, leaving dozens of confirmed deaths, support for the city has already begun with the hashtag #portesouvertes. The hashtag is being used to offer shelter in Paris to anyone in the city who is afraid to attempt returning home or taking public transportation.
In a dark turn, apparent supporters of ISIL on Twitter were also using the hashtag #باريس_تشتعل (Paris burns) to spread the news. The same hashtag previously appeared during the January terror attack in Paris on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo’s offices and on a Paris grocery store.
The hashtag #Parisburns has been repurposed in English to express support for the victims and the city.
French authorities are calling the incident a terrorist attack.
More coverage of the attack can be found here.