Around the world, condemnation of the Orlando massacre
Reporting from — From around the world, officials and public figures are expressing condemnation and shock over the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday.
FRANCE
The Eiffel Tower will shine in the colors of a rainbow on Monday night, starting at 10:45 p.m. local time to honor victims of the mass shooting. Paris City Hall will pay its respects starting at about 1:30 p.m. when U.S. and rainbow flags will fly.
France feels deeply the horror of deadly assaults after the November terror attacks on a music hall, restaurants and bars and the main sports stadium killed 130. That was preceded by attacks on a satirical newspaper and a kosher grocery store. All were claimed by the Islamic State group.
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BRITAIN
Author J.K. Rowling said one victim of the Orlando killings worked on the Harry Potter Ride at the Universal Studios theme park.
The author tweeted a picture of 22-year-old Luis Vielma in a Hogwarts school tie, and said: “I can’t stop crying.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister David Cameron have sent messages of condolence from Britain for the attack, which killed 50 people at a gay nightclub.
Buckingham Palace said the queen sent a message to President Obama: “Prince Philip and I have been shocked by the events in Orlando. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected.”
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GERMANY
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it’s important to continue with “our open, tolerant life” following such attacks.
Speaking during a visit to China on Monday, Merkel said “we have a heavy heart” over the fact that “the hatred and malignancy of a single person cost over 50 people their lives.”
She added: “We are firmly determined, even when such murderous attacks put us into deep sorrow, to continue with our open, tolerant life.”
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ISRAEL
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in a letter to President Obama that Israel stands “shoulder to shoulder with our American brothers and sisters” after the attack on the LGBT community. Rivlin sent his condolences, saying there is “no comfort for those who have had their loved ones torn away from them.”
City Hall in Tel Aviv, Israel, is lit up in solidarity with Orlando’s shooting victims.
The Orlando attack has dominated news in Israel, which has seen a wave of Palestinian attacks in recent months. On Wednesday, two Palestinian gunmen killed four people at a popular shopping and restaurant area in Tel Aviv. LGBT groups in Israel planned rallies and other support for the community in Orlando.
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PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history was a “senseless act of terror and hate,” and that “Palestinians stand with the American people in this difficult time.”
The statement made no direct reference to the LGBT community. Homosexuality is deeply taboo in the conservative Palestinian society. Gay Palestinians tend to be secretive about their social lives, and some have crossed into Israel to live openly safely.
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AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah told the Cabinet as he opened the weekly meeting live on television on Monday morning that the Orlando attack “tells us that terrorism knows no religion, boundary and geography. Terrorism must be eliminated.”
He said that Afghans “do not support terrorism but the victims of terrorist attacks” and offered his condolences to the people and government of the United States.“Our hearts and minds are with our U.S. partners.” He also urged “collective actions to end such attacks.”
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KUWAIT
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said the government strongly condemns the “terrorist attack” that took place in Orlando, adding that the escalation of such assaults requires a doubling down of efforts on the part of the international community to eliminate “this disgusting phenomenon.”
Last year, 27 people were killed by an Islamic State suicide bomber in Kuwait during prayer at a mosque in the capital.
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QATAR
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Orlando mass shooting and called for concerted international efforts to “face criminal acts that target civilians.”
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EGYPT
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Orlando attack “in the strongest possible terms,” and offered condolences to the American government and people. “Egypt stands next to the American people in these difficult times, offering sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.”
Egypt’s statement called for international solidarity and a “firm, comprehensive approach to confronting terrorism, which knows no borders or religion, and is incompatible with all humanitarian principles and values.”
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AUSTRALIA
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the Orlando mass shooting was “an attack on all of us — on all our freedoms, the freedom to gather together, to celebrate, to share time with friends.”
People gather at Taylor Square in Sydney, Australia, to show solidarity with victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.
He said he spoke with the U.S. ambassador to Australia, John Berry, “and formally conveyed to him Australians’ sympathy, condolences and resolute solidarity in the face of this shocking act of hate and terror.”
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CHINA
China’s official Xinhua News Agency issued a statement saying President Xi Jinping had telephoned President Obama to express his condolences.
Xi was quoted as saying that “on behalf of the government and people of China, I convey to President Obama and the American government and people my deepest sympathies, sincere condolences and deep grief for the victims.”
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JAPAN
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has condemned the Orlando nightclub attack and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
Abe told reporters Monday in Oita that “Japan stands together with the people of the United States” and that “this despicable act of terror cannot be tolerated.”
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SINGAPORE
The mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub happened shortly after a same-sex kiss was removed from a production of the musical “Les Miserables” in Singapore, and after the government said it would look into rules of foreign funding for gay-pride parades like Pink Dot.
Law Minister K. Shanmugam said on Facebook: “Another senseless shooting. It just goes on and on. The madness is not going to stop.”
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