Belgians stand united as 'heart of EU' aches

 

"Brussels I love you" says a message written in chalk in the Belgian capital's historic city square, a place for celebration that has become a scene of grief after the country's worst terror attack. Wrapped in their national flag and carrying candles and flowers, Belgians flocked to the Place de la Bourse in the ancient heart of the city to grieve for the dead. The European Union's symbolic heart was left reeling on Tuesday after extremists massacred 31 people in bombings at the airport in Zaventem and on a metro train.

 

A lone musician played a cello as a mourner waved a banner reading "United against hate" and another message scrawled on the ground said: "Christians + Muslims + Jews = humanity". "It's important to get together after moments like these," said Ms Leila Devin, 22. "It shows we're united against terror." Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel joined mourners after sundown and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker also paid homage to the dead. "Tonight I am Belgian," he said, full of emotion.

 

Landmarks around the world, from New York's One World Trade Center to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, were lit up in the black, yellow and red colours of Belgium's national flag in solidarity. Twitter also lit up with users painting their profile photos in those colours, with the hashtags #Belgium and #PrayForBelgium trending worldwide... Read more.