Merkel: Racism and extremism have no place in Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to join a Muslim community rally Tuesday to condemn the Paris jihadist attacks, promote tolerance and send a rebuke to a growing anti-Islamic movement.

“Hatred, racism and extremism have no place in this country,” she said in a speech earlier in the day. “We are a country based on democracy, tolerance and openness to the world.”

President Joachim Gauck was to address the event at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, organized by the Central Council of Muslims under the banner “Let’s be there for each other. Terror: not in our name!”

The ceremony will start at 1645 GMT with a wreath laying outside the French embassy, where the ground is covered with flowers, candles and condolence cards.

The wreath will be made of colored pens, a symbol of freedom of expression in honor of the 17 victims of the attack on satirical paper Charlie Hebdo and subsequent bloodshed that shook France last week.

— AFP

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