Held in front of the States building, which was lit up in the colours of the French flag, around 500 Islanders expressed their condolences following the attacks which have left at least 129 people dead.
Bailiff William Bailhache, Saffraz Jarmali, a leading member of the Island’s Muslim community, French Consul David Myatt and Chief Minister Ian Gorst addressed the crowd to extend the Island’s sympathies to France.
The vigil came ten months after a similar event at the Royal Square in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo shootings.
In a speech which was met with warm applause, Mr Jarmali, a surgeon at the Hospital, said: ‘We are here to express our deepest condolences to the people of Paris and France.
‘We condemn any kind of terrorist attack. These terrorists call themselves Islamic State but there is nothing Islamic about what they do.
‘We are a small community in Jersey, but we stand side by side with the whole of Jersey. We show our support along with the whole of Jersey for this senseless massacre.’
Earlier in the day, Islanders joined millions across Europe in a one minute’s silence for those who lost their lives in the attack – the worst seen in France since the Second World War.
French authorities believe they have identified the eight attackers and police across Europe were today hunting 26-year-old Belgian national Salah Abdeslam – one of three brothers allegedly involved in the attacks.
An international football match between England and France is due to go ahead this evening, with fans in attendance being encouraged to join in with the French national anthem before kick-off.
And addressing the crowd yesterday, Mr Bailhache said Islanders must stand firm in the wake of terrorist attacks.
‘Let us weep today at the damage done which goes way beyond those actually killed or injured.
‘Thousands will remember November 13th as the day they lost their spouse, partner, child, friend.
‘That pain will run for decades, as many of those killed or injured were young people.
‘You only have to log onto Facebook to see the number of faces on which the tricolore has been imposed to see how many have been affected by what has happened.
‘And let us stand firm in ourselves against the threat to our way of life, and let us reaffirm tolerance and respect as the building blocks of our Island.’
Many Islanders of those who attended placed candles around a tree in front of the States building and the Musical Originals choir performed a rendition of A Prayer for the Children.
In another speech, Senator Gorst said: ‘On this, the third official day of mourning for our neighbours in France, it is still hard to grasp the enormity of what happened in Paris.
‘This is an attack on the values that we share. It is important that we show solidarity with our neighbours.
‘We will not be bullied by such contemptuous acts. It is important that when our core beliefs are threatened we stand together and fight for what we hold dear.’
Following the vigil, hundreds attended a multi-faith service at the Town Church, during which the Dean of Jersey, the Very Rev Bob Key, gave an address in French.
Yesterday French President Francois Hollande vowed to destroy IS and declared his intention to extend the national state of emergency to three months.
Meanwhile, in Jersey security has been increased at the ports as Special Branch and Customs officers carry out routine checks. However, the Island’s terror threat has not been increased from substantial.
René Le Quéré: ‘My family are French and I think it is very sad to hear about what has happened. I have got family who live in France and I hope they that they are safe. Something needs to be done but we can not be too drastic in what we do. It is not just France at threat, they come after anyone. I was very shocked and I didn’t think anything like this could happen. For people to go into a concert and start opening up on innocent people is disgusting.’
Linda Hellyer, with husband Edward: ‘We were in Paris the day before the attacks at the André Rieu concert and we feel very sorry for the people that have lost loved ones. Those people were enjoying themselves and suddenly something like this can happen. We came tonight because we think about how lucky we were and think that it could have been us. Our phone did not stop ringing because we had family in England who knew we were in France and didn’t know when we were coming back.’
Anne Dupré: ‘It is really unbelievable and I think everyone is in complete shock about what happened. Those people went to a concert and didn’t come home again. You just don’t think that can happen and it was a bit like the 9/11 attacks, you were watching the news but didn’t really take it in. I wanted to show my solidarity and show that no one will be beaten by these terrorists. I think the response has been wonderful and shows that everyone is united.’
