Dubai: Paris has once again proven that social media is more than just about selfies. On Twitter, families posted photos of their missing relatives under hashtags such as #RechercheParis and #rechercheBataclan in the hopes of finding them. @CynthiaUrbinaR tweeted: “#rechercheParis Carlos Rivera, please if you see him or know anything about him please contact me. Thanks.”
This was on Saturday. By Sunday, the hashtags had helped many reunite with their missing family members. @DaliaEzzat_ posted: “Update: Walid Abdel Razzak has been found in Pampidou hospital. He’s alive but badly injured. #RechercheParis”
Twitter hashtag #PorteOuverte also started trending on Saturday as Parisians offered to support those trying to find refuge after the attacks.
Tweep @Jawn_Star wrote: “If you’re in Paris and need a safe place to go/stay, use #PorteOuverte on Twitter to find kind Parisians opening their homes. Pass it on.”
The previous evening, Twitter had become the go-to channel for those seeking real-time coverage of the events unfolding across the French capital. Periscope, Twitter’s video platform allowed users to share footage of happenings but crashed numerous times due to the enormous volume of traffic it experienced.
Social media users took to various platforms to vent about the terror attacks. On Facebook, people expressed solidarity by adding a French flag filter to their profile pictures. The move was appreciated by many, users also posted to Mark Zuckerberg’s profile to raise the possibility of introducing flags of other countries that were facing conflict or natural calamities.
Zuckerberg responded: “Many people have rightfully asked why we turned on Safety Check for Paris but not for bombings in Beirut and other places. Until yesterday, our policy was only to activate Safety Check for natural disasters. We just changed this and now plan to activate Safety Check for more human disasters going forward as well. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with questions and concerns about this....”
Unfortunately, the social channels also witnessed negative behaviour. A Canadian-Sikh man Veerender Jubbal, saw his picture going viral for the wrong reason. A photograph showing Jubbal holding an iPad was edited into him holding up a Quran and wearing a suicide bomber’s vest. One of the biggest newspapers in Spain, La Razon published the social media picture with the caption reading “one of the terrorists”. The paper later apologised.
— With input by Donia Yassinson/Community Web Editor
