French terror attack horror hits home for Warrnambool's Kylie and Jean-Philippe Gaston

More than 120 people were killed in six co-ordinated attacks on Friday night (western European time) that stained Parisian streets with blood and left the world reeling in disbelief.

Cr Gaston lived in Paris for more than a decade.

She and her French-born husband Jean-Philippe now both operate Warrnambool cafe Ginger Kitchen.

She told The Standard she was horrified by the events in Paris, which occured early Saturday morning eastern Australian time but she was confident the French people would remain resolute in the face of terrorism.

“Watching it on television in the morning, it was all so brutal and tragic, it’s hard to describe it really,” she said.

“France has been hit by terrorism before, as recently as the Charlie Hebdo attacks earlier this year, but this appears to be on an even larger scale.”

Cr and Mr Gaston lived in the streets near the Bataclan Theatre – a popular venue for concerts and the scene of the most loss of lives during Friday night’s attack.

Police stormed the theatre after terrorists began killing audience members of a hard rock concert.

At least 100 people were believed to be killed in the ensuing violence.

“The Bataclan Theatre was close to where we used to live,” Cr Gaston said.

“It’s a large venue so it doesn’t surprise me that so many were there to see that heavy metal concert.

“The neighbourhood we lived in was very cosmopolitan, very safe seemingly.”

Landmarks across the Western World were illuminated in the blue, white and red of the French tricolour over the weekend – including the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Opera House – as a show of solidarity following the atrocities.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing for Australia to show in some small way that we care,” Cr Gaston said.