Photo Gallery Coming Together after the Attacks
Brussels was in a state of mourning on Tuesday evening following the deaths of more than 30 people in the terrorist attacks on Zaventem international airport and a central subway station in the EU Quarter. Here, a group holds a vigil in honor of the victims, lighting candles and displaying a banner reading "I am Brussels" in both French and Flemish.
Hundreds of people left messages written in chalk on the ground at Place de la Bourse.
The Belgian authorities continued to search for suspects on Tuesday evening. Helicopters could be seen flying above Brussels' Schaerbeek district. The attacks came just days after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, a major suspect in the November terrorist attacks in Paris.
Place de la Bourse in central Brussels saw large crowds gathering to pay their respects. Belgians and tourists came together, whilst people from around the world showed their solidarity on social media.
After the attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, the phrase "Je suis Charlie" was shared all across the world as a symbol of solidarity with the victims. When terrorists struck at the heart of the French capital, "Je suis Paris" went viral on social media. On Tuesday evening, a passersby shared the message "Je suis Bruxelles."
A note reading "J'irai pisser sur vos bombes" -- "I will piss on your bombs" -- and depicting Brussel's famous Manneken Pis fountain is displayed in front of the Belgian Embassy in Berlin. People around the world have defied the terrorists, whose actions led to the deaths of over 30 people and many more injuries.
Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate was lit up in the colors of the Belgian flag on the evening after the attacks.
Similarly, Paris' Eiffel Tower was illuminated in Belgium's national colors as a symbol of solidarity.
Candles, flowers and the Belgian flag were just some of the items left by members of the public in remembrance in Brussels' city center. A spokesperson for Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel announced that public buildings would lower their flags to half-mast and that three days of national mourning would be held.
The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Belgian Prime Minister Michel also visited Place de la Bourse on Tuesday evening. Here, Michel can be seen bending down to light a candle.
Police and security forces searched buildings in pursuit of the terrorists. Bystanders remain outside an evacuation zone at Place Princesse Elisabeth in Schaerbeek, where it is believed the perpetrators recently resided.
Many streets on Tuesday remained empty, save for police vehicles and ambulances. The capital remains in shock and the government raised the terror alert level to its maximum shortly after the attacks.
Belgium's King Philippe was visibly upset during his address on national television on Tuesday. He described the attacks, for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility, as "cowardly and odious," before praising the emergency services and adding that his country will respond with "firmness, calm and dignity."
