Inside New York's Emotionally Charged Rally for Paris Victims

Julea (pictured left), who asked that we not use her last name, lost a friend during the attack. She was too distraught to speak so her friend Lydia (pictured right), talked on her behalf. "It's very important for us to come today because we need to feel close to our family, to our friends, even if we are far," she said.

"Her best friend called her to explain that her friend died during the attacks," Lydia continued. "So actually it's very difficult for her to understand why people are smiling, why people—I don't know. She doesn't understand the world, the event, she really wants to go back to France, I think, but we have to stay one year, so we have to be patient, but today it's very difficult."

Romame Ferrand expressed sadness over not only the attacks but also the fact that she wasn't in Paris to show her solidarity. "We're very sad to not be in Paris and not be with whole family," she said. "We have to be together to support this."

The Paris attacks came just two days after ISIS carried out a series of suicide bombings in Beirut, Lebanon, where more than 40 people were killed. Friday's attacks seemed to overshadow the bloodshed in Beirut, however, prompting some in Lebanon to question the media reaction.

Alexandra Jabre, 30, who is both French and Lebanese, expressed deep sadness for the tragedies that struck both of her nations and said she stands in solidarity with victims of extremist ideology.

Marie Servas said she left note saying, Paris je t'aime. "We love Paris a lot," she said. "And this is not Paris—what happened—not Paris. For me it's not Paris."

Paul-Marc Schweitzer, 23, said everyone was a Parisian that day. "I think everyone's Paris today, whether you live in New York or France or anywhere else in the world," he said. "New York is Paris, the world is Paris."

Cecile, who asked that we not use her last name, felt a certain solidarity between Paris and New York. "I think New York is always there to support the French," she said. "We were there for 9/11 in the same way that New York is here today."