Editorial: Paris terror shocks world

Kelsey O'Dea was at the Stade de France stadium when it was attacked by suicide bombers.

The co-ordinated attacks in France are so barbaric they defy comprehension.

At least 129 people murdered in cold blood at multiple venues in Paris, leaving a city in mourning and thousands of families concerned about the safety of their loved ones. It was an attack on democracy and freedom.

The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility and vowed that this was "only the beginning of the storm" to punish France for its airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Tauranga's Kelsey O'Dea, 21, was at the Stade de France when explosions rocked the national football stadium and marked the beginning of the terror attacks in Paris.

She and a friend joined the crowds running from the stadium. Thankfully she was unharmed.

Prime Minister John Key spoke for us all when he said that our hearts go out to the victims and their families.

Mr Key also spoke of his huge relief that his daughter, Stephie, was safe at home in Paris. He is not alone - many families across the country would have been concerned about loved ones visiting or living in Paris.

His personal connection to the terrors of France came with a message of condemnation for the terror attacks.

He says New Zealand stands with France in the global fight against terror.

French President Franois Hollande has declared the attacks an act of war.

He has vowed to continue to wage a relentless campaign against Islamic State "on all fronts, internal and exterior, working with our allies".

World leaders have responded with defiant pledges of solidarity and London monuments, including the London Eye and Tower Bridge, were lit up in the red, white and blue of the French tricolour, as were Sydney's Opera House, the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan, the Senate building in Mexico City, One World Trade Centre in New York and several other global landmarks.

In the immediate aftermath of the horrific events, the attacks appear to have had the opposite effect to what was intended. Instead of weakening the resolve to tackle global terror, they have strengthened it.