PARIS, France (Reuters) — Paris turned off the famed lights of the Eiffel Tower on Wednesday (December 14) as a gesture of solidarity with the citizens of the Syrian city of Aleppo.
“This symbolic measure at a building known worldwide will aim to once again alert the international community to the need for urgent action,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in a statement.
Thousands of people fled the frontlines of fighting in Aleppo on Tuesday (December 12) as the Syrian military advanced on the final pocket of rebel resistance.
Fighting intensified in Aleppo over the last month which has led to concerns around the world over the plight of its citizens, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad moving to take full control of the city.
International efforts to seek a negotiated settlement to end fighting in Aleppo have shown no signs of a breakthrough, with Russia and the United States exchanging recriminations over hitches in ceasefire talks.
