Orlando shooting: Thousands attend vigils worldwide for victims of the terror attack at Pulse nightclub

ORLANDO is a city united — the world at its back, the blood of 49 innocent victims at its feet, prayers for peace and questions of why on its mind.

Nicole Edwards and her wife Kellie Edwards observe a moment of silence during a vigil outside the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for the mass shooting victims at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Picture: AFP

ORLANDO is a city united — the world at its back, the blood of 49 innocent victims at its feet, prayers for peace and questions of why on its mind.

As the world reels from Sunday’s massacre at a gay nightclub, the tight-knit community has vowed to combat hate with love and take their fight for gun control straight to the top.

“For reasons we don’t fully understand, our city and our very way of life was attacked,” Mayor Buddy Dyer told a crowd of 7500 gathered on the lawns of Dr Phillips Centre for the Performing Arts last night.

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A crowd gathers for a vigil in honour of the Pulse nightclub shooting victims at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Orlando. Picture: Charles King/Orlando Sentinel via AP

“Someone purposely sought out men and women of our — of our — LGBT community. He took the lives of 49 of our neighbours and loved ones and injured dozens more. Tonight, we remain a city in pain. We are mourning. We are angry.”

People gather at a vigil for the victims at Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando. Picture: Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel via AP

Mourners held colourful flower bouquets, candles, framed photographs, handwritten tributes and American flags as speakers praised the Orlando Police Department and led the crowd in chants of “We are here to stay!”

People hold up homemade signs during a vigil and memorial for victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting at the historic Stonewall Inn gay bar, in New York. Picture: AP

The Orlando Gay Chorus kicked off the two-hour vigil with a powerful rendition of “True Colours”, as the owners of Pulse nightclub promised to reopen the bullet-riddled venue.

As the sun set, the bells at First United Methodist Church of Orlando tolled 49 times to remember those who lost their lives.

An unidentified man, wrapped in a Rainbow Flag, lights a candle during a vigil in Washington. Picture: AP

Among the victims were Edward Sotomayor, a travel planner nicknamed “top hat Eddie” for his love of black hats, Cory Connell who dreamt of becoming a firefighter, and Eddie Justice who messaged his mother “I’m gonna die” from inside the club.

“This has shaken our community to its very core — especially because it happened in a traditionally safe space for gay and transgender people,” Equality Florida policy and outreach co-ordinator Hannah Willard said.

A mourner lights candles placed on rainbow flag draped with a black crepe outside Barcelona's city hall during a vigil at Sant Jaume Square in Barcelona. Picture: AFP

“Nightclubs are more than just places where we go dancing, the LGBT community. They are often the very first place where folks like us feel like our authentic selves.”

Imam Muhammad Musri, president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, called for a ban on assault weapons before declaring he would march in Washington DC on July 23 with other Muslim leaders to denounce the “cancer” of terrorism.

Cities around the world have shown solidarity with Orlando in the wake of the slaughter.

Rainbow colours have swathed the World Trade Centre in New York City to City Hall in Tel Aviv to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

London’s streets came to a standstill as thousands marched in honour of the fallen. Across the US, the American flag flies at half-mast.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris illuminated in rainbow colours to pay homage to the victims of a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando. Picture: AFP

Orlando officials initially urged people to “hold off on vigils” in the aftermath of the shooting for security reasons. Last night’s vigil was organised by civil rights group Equality Florida.