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More than 1,000 Montrealers braved the bitter cold on Wednesday night to stand together outside the city’s French consulate and remember those killed in a brazen attack in Paris earlier in the day.

Temperatures of near minus-21 C greeted the huge crowd as people lit candles, embraced each other and sang the French national anthem. Many held pens or pencils above their heads in tribute to the ten journalists working at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo who were gunned down in their offices by three men. Two police officers also died trying to stop the massacre.

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“It has to stop,” said Jeff Begley, who stood near the back of the crowd. “It seems to me that the magazine was saying ‘enough of religious extremism.’ And I think everyone needs to say ‘enough.’ ”

Many at the event — which was hastily organized within hours of the shooting — carried printouts of Charlie Hebdo’s most controversial cartoons featuring Muslim leaders and the Prophet Muhammad. Chants of “Charlie!” and “Liberty!” rang out as more and more people streamed out of nearby malls to join the peaceful gathering.

Earlier in the evening, a similar attempt to come together in solidarity outside Montreal city hall was marred by the still-fresh anger some were feeling in the wake of the attack.

Shouts of “Religion! Finished!” and loud boos were heard in the crowd of about 200 people as Mayor Denis Coderre called for respect and tolerance among Montrealers of every faith.