Charlie Hebdo: France marks five years since Paris massacre

Flowers were placed outside the magazine's former Paris office reading: "Team Charlie Hebdo"

France is marking the fifth anniversary of a deadly attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with street ceremonies and social media tributes.

The hashtag #JeSuisCharlie (I am Charlie) was trending as thousands posted messages honouring the victims.

On 7 January 2015, militant Islamists shot dead 11 people in the magazine's Paris office, before murdering a policeman outside.

It was the beginning of a wave of jihadist attacks across France.

On Tuesday, former French President François Hollande, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet were among those to pay their respects to the victims outside Charlie Hebdo's former offices in the capital.

A ceremony in Paris was attended by former French President François Hollande

Several tributes took place, including readings of commemorative plaques, wreath-laying and a minute's silence.

The weekly magazine, which published a special issue marking the anniversary with contributions from the victims' relatives, tweeted: "It was five years ago, it was a century ago, it was yesterday. We do not forget and we will always continue: to speak, to write, to draw."

The message on the cover of the latest issue reads: "New censorship... new dictatorship."

One of the images shared by many on Twitter was a mural by street artist Christian Guémy, which depicts the faces of the Charlie Hebdo editorial staff and others who were shot in the magazine's office five years ago.

The mural is painted on a wall near the magazine's offices on Rue Nicolas-Appert

The French magazine's editor at the time, Stéphane Charbonnier, was among four cartoonists killed. Sketches and photos featuring Charbonnier, known as "Charb" - who was 47 when he died - were shared on social media.

Philosopher Vincent Cespedes wondered what Charb would have made of the "fiasco" of the aftermath of the attacks. No lessons had been learned and divisions were deeper, he complained.

Others shared images of support, showing crowds of people brandishing the French tricolour flag and banners reading: "Je Suis Charlie"

Flowers were also placed outside a kosher grocery store in a suburb of the capital, which was targeted in the aftermath of the assault on Charlie Hebdo.

A jihadist gunman killed three customers and an employee at the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes in the east of Paris.

The Hyper Cacher supermarket, where a gunman killed four people in January 2015

The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif) has organised a separate ceremony for the victims of the Hyper Cacher supermarket, which is scheduled for Thursday evening.

Three police officers were among the 17 victims of the gunmen on 7-9 January.

In the days following the 2015 attacks, millions of people took part in unity marches across France, linking arms in an act of solidarity.

More on Charlie Hebdo and the French attacks:

• 7-9 January 2015: Three days of terror in Paris

• Charlie Hebdo and its place in French journalism

• French terror attacks: Victim obituaries