On 7 January 2015, two Islamist gunmen^] forced their way into and opened fire in the Paris headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, killing twelve: staff cartoonists Charb, Cabu, Honoré, Tignous and Wolinski,^[economist Bernard Maris, editors Elsa Cayat and Mustapha Ourrad, guest Michel Renaud, maintenance worker Frédéric Boisseau and police officers Brinsolaro and Merabet, and wounding eleven, four of them seriously

The “survivors’ issue”

The day after the attack, the remaining staff of Charlie Hebdo announced that publication would continue, with the following week’s edition of the newspaper to be published according to the usual schedule with a print run of one million copies, up significantly from its usual 60,000

On 13 January 2015 the news came on BBC that the first issue after the massacre will come out in three million copies On Wednesday itself it was announced that due to a huge demand in France, the print run would be raised from three to five million copies.

 The front cover of 14 January 2015 edition, with a cartoon in the same style as the 3 November 2011 cover, uses the phrase “Je Suis Charlie” and headline “All is forgiven.”

The magazine features a cartoon image of the prophet Muhammad with a tear in his eye holding up the ‘je suis Charlie’ board

The front cover received both global condemnation and praise some believed the cover was confrontational and provocative and some believed it was an essential; exercise in freedom of speech.

Sponsored by THE THANKS INITIATIVE we took our cameras to Marble Arch in London to ask the British public their opinion.

On one of the coldest days we have experienced in ages our preconceptions about what the cosmopolitan public would say was shattered. Prior to shoot we chatted amongst ourselves and was of the opinion it would be hard to get people to discuss the subject, it was literally a couple of days after the attacks and we felt the public would rather not express their opinion on such a sensitive subject publicly we where wrong. Hugely wrong

We also thought that the general conscientious would be to back the Charlie Hebdo cover and the right of freedom of speech. Again, we where wrong.

The day was a fascinating insight into the varying perspectives of people. The highlight being a group of French Students who couldn’t fully express their opinions due to their lack of English so they told us in another way – by singing their national anthem – an amazing moment and an emotional moment for us all..

Enjoy the video