New Yorkers Gather in Washington Square in Support of Paris

New Yorkers packed Washington Square Park at a vigil to mourn the victims of yesterday's attacks in Paris. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Parisian tourists and transplants, softly singing the French anthem La Marseillaise.

Joseph Pinckney, who grew up in New York, had a bouquet of yellow flowers he hoped to place at the base of the arch. He said the massacre in France reminded him of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and in Boston.

"Anytime something happens in America there are outpourings of support all over. It's the least we can do to repay that," he said.

French diplomat Emmanuel Suquet said he was grateful for the outpouring. "You miss the country in those moments, definitely. You want to be with your friends and family," he said. "So it's good to show unity among the people who live here."

Mayor de Blasio, who also attended the vigil, said the city was ready to help Paris however it can. "Moments like this call for solidarity between people and tremendous cooperation between governments," he said.

The mayor says NYPD is stepping up security at French government and cultural institutions, and at popular sites across the city. He said there are more than 1,500 police trained in counter-terrorism, and the city is coordinating closely with federal and international agencies.

Theater goers lined up for tickets in Times Square on Saturday, undeterred by the attack on a concert and soccer match in Paris. 

Earlier in the day, French ex-patriots gathered at the French Institute in Manhattan. 

"It feels like they really wanted to kill people everywhere and so it feels like a war," said Florence Henniaux.