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This Paris Artwork Has Never Been More Fitting

by Emily Lackey

Details regarding what happened Friday evening when a number of attacks reportedly broke out across Paris remain relatively unclear. As three separate locations reported a number of violent attacks — gunfire, explosions, and hostages — very little sense could be made in the direct aftermath of the violence. But one thing became abundantly clear: The world responded to the attacks with unending support for a city suffering. The attacks, which French president Francois Hollande called in a nationally-televised address “unprecedented,” continued into the evening and left more than 100 people dead. At the time of this report, a state of emergency had been declared in Paris and the president had closed the country’s borders. And, yet, as the world struggled to understand the events that took place on Friday night, millions of people turned to social media to share their feelings that were only natural at a time of international crisis: fear, sorrow, confusion, anger, and hope for peace. Everyone's declaration for peace in Paris, in particular, made its rounds on Twitter in a big way. On Friday night, a painting of Paris was shared by millions, including Banksy who tweeted the image at 6:13 p.m. EST, that has moved the world in the wake of these attacks and has never been more fitting.

The image of the Eiffel Tower turned into the lines of the peace symbol is, in a word, stunning. And although it is not something that Banksy himself painted, the simplicity of the image conveys the single-minded focus that much of the world was feeling as we hoped for answers, understanding, and an end to the violence spreading across the city. And the fact that the image has been retweeted from Banksy’s account over 38,000 times (and likely countless more on other forms of social media), shows that the painting captures perfectly what so many of us are feeling.

The stark image also serves as a reminder of how futile words can sometimes feel in a time like this. In this case, the simple lines of the image have done more for the world and for Paris than 140 characters ever could.