The Eiffel Tower will not be illuminated Wednesday night out of solidarity with the people of Aleppo, the mayor of Paris has announced. Residents trapped in Aleppo have made desperate pleas for help or said goodbyes over social media this week as Syrian troops have taken to executing civilians and evacuation efforts have stalled.
The Eiffel Tower, which normally turns its lights out between 1 or 2 a.m., will go dark at 8 p.m. local time. The tower has been used as a symbol of solidarity before, such as when it was illuminated in rainbow colors after the shooting at the Orlando nightclub. It was also illuminated in the colors of the Belgian flag after the Brussels attacks last March.
Ce soir, à 20h, la @LaTourEiffel s'éteindra pour rappeler symboliquement le soutien de la Ville de @Paris à #Alep et à tous ses habitants pic.twitter.com/ApJOkKrXw5
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) December 14, 2016
"This symbolic measure at a building known worldwide will aim to once again alert the international community to the need for urgent action," the mayor's office said in a statement.