On Sunday, thousands of people have gathered in Paris to condemn the terrorist attack against a history teacher, Samuel Paty, who was beheaded for sharing his beliefs about Islam.

According to a Daily Mail report, protesters have gathered together to show their renewed commitment to protect the country’s freedom of speech. In fact, even French Prime Minister Jean Castex joined in to “pay tribute” to the slain victim.

Based on police reports from French authorities, Paty had worked as a history teacher in one of the local schools. Then, just last week, one of the students criticized him for showing a cartoon about the Prophet Muhammed. The authorities believed that Paty’s student, a 13-year-old girl named, Brahim Chnina, went to Twitter to lash out against the history teacher. Chnina complained about Paty’s behavior in class, even going as far as to call him a “thug.” She also leaked details about the school.

Other Muslim families were also outraged by Paty’s action. In fact, some of them also posted YouTube videos, condemning his actions. According to one of the videos, a parent questioned why the history teacher had to ask his Muslim students to leave the class because “he was going to show a photo that would shock them.” Unfortunately, police officers presumed that the killer, an 18-year-old Chechen man, Aboulakh Anzorov, saw Chnina’s video and acted upon it. Anzarov was shot and killed after a confrontation with the police officers on Saturday.

The officers believed that Anzorov came of Russian origin and that his hometown, Chechnya holds Islam as their main religion. Police officers also noted that the suspect had close ties with ISIS and received training from the international terrorist organization in Syria. After the attack, officers claimed that Anzorov posted the attack on social media, showing Paty’s severed head and lifeless body.

The authorities also cited that Anzorov yelled the words “Allahu akbar” when he beheaded the teacher. After the attack, the killer also threatened police officers with the same knife that he used to behead the victim. The authorities shot him ten times after Anzorov refused to surrender.

The French people shared their collective trauma from the incident. In fact, Castex joined with thousands of people who condemned the brutal attack against the history teacher. Some of them carried the signs that read “I am Samuel’’. The French people also observed a moment of silence across the square. They also played the country’s national anthem, La Marseillaise, as they chanted the words, “Freedom of expression, freedom to teach.”

This is not the first time that the country has faced a terrorist attack. In 2015, the country saw what became known as the “Charlie Hebdo” attacks, which killed 17 people. Initially, Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine that started out in the 1970s. The publication was meant to criticize religion, politics, and other relevant issues.

In 2006, the magazine reprinted a controversial caricature of the Prophet Mohammed. The drawings did not sit well with the suspects, and they then proceeded to burn down the Charlie Hebdo offices and before going on a killing spree.