French President Francois Hollande led a minute of silence held across the country. He joined police officers at the Prefecture of Police in Paris for the ceremony.

Meanwhile large crowds gathered in the rain outside the Notre Dame cathedral in the capital.

#Paris, now. In front of Notre-Dame. #silence #charliehebdo pic.twitter.com/6EP3Vci23H— Frédéric Says (@FredericSays) January 8, 2015


France declared a day of mourning for those killed police officers shot dead on Wednesday morning (January 7) by black-hooded gunmen using Kalashnikov assault rifles. French tricolour flags flew at half mast throughout the country.

Police extended a manhunt on Thursday for two brothers suspected of carrying out the attacks at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo publication in Paris in a presumed Islamist militant strike.

French President Manuel Valls sang the country’s national anthem outside his official Paris residence, Matignon Palace, as a mark of respect.

Members of France’s Nationa