The colors of the French flag -- blue, white and red -- dominated social media following Friday evening’s terrorist attacks in Paris. The attacks killed 129 people and injured hundreds of others. The French president Francois Hollande called the Islamic State’s attacks “an act of war.” Hours after the attacks, an image of the Eiffel Tower within a peace sign went viral, as did the hashtag #peaceforparis. French officials turned off the lights and closed the tower, a symbol of Paris, for safety. Around the world, countries responded by shining the colors of blue, white and red on their own symbols and monuments.
Facebook let users change their profile photos to the colors of the French flag. The social media network also activated its Safety Check feature after the Paris attacks. The social media site launched the feature in 2014 and has used it for people affected by natural disasters. It recently used the safety check-in after the earthquake that struck South Asia last month. Paris was the first time the company used the feature for events other than a natural disaster.
