The massive unity rally planned for Sunday in Paris will be challenging for officials trying to secure the area, especially since several foreign leaders will be in attendance.
Citing the event's "exceptional" nature, the French Interior Ministry announced that thousands of additional police will be on the streets, and several metro stations will be closed ahead of the event, planned for 3 p.m., local time, Sunday.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said authorities will do everything to ensure security at the event. After meeting with French President Francois Hollande Saturday morning, Cazeneuve called for "extreme vigilance," saying, "Given the context, we are exposed to risks."
"Faced with this exceptional situation, the Ministry of the Interior, at the request of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, will take equally exceptional measures to ensure the safety of the event, and respect for law and order," he added.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb are just some of the international dignitaries planning to attend.
I've accepted President Hollande's invitation to join the Unity Rally in Paris this Sunday - celebrating the values behind #CharlieHebdo.— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) January 9, 2015
Around 2,200 police are being deployed, in addition to thousands already guarding synagogues, mosques, schools and other sites around France.
#TousALaMarcheDu11Janvier: Les forces de l'ordre mobilisées pour votre sécurité demain #LaFranceEstCharlie pic.twitter.com/S6rMwkPLZI— Gouvernement (@gouvernementFR) January 10, 2015
On Saturday, Hollande met with injured members of the French national police's anti-terrorist unit, who were among those who responded to Friday's standoffs.
Le président @fhollande a rencontré à l'hôpital les fonctionnaires du #RAID et de la #BI blessés hier à Vincennes pic.twitter.com/TQheKexx0i— Élysée (@Elysee) January 10, 2015
In total, 17 people and three gunmen were killed over the three days of attacks that left France reeling.
Hundreds of thousands of people marched in cities across the country on Saturday to honor the victims of the attacks. More are expected at Sunday's rally. The U.S. Embassy in Paris told American citizens that "an increased police and security presence is anticipated," but given the high number of participants, demonstrators should remain vigilant.
The rally "must show the power, the dignity of the French people who will be shouting out of love of freedom and tolerance," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Saturday.
"Journalists were killed because they defended freedom. Policemen were killed because they were protecting you. Jews were killed because they were Jewish," he said. "The indignation must be absolute and total — not for three days only, but permanently."
United we stand! Unity rally in #Paris on January 11th #JeSuisCharlie #LaFranceEstCharlie pic.twitter.com/f6XIzoB29s— French Government (@French_Gov) January 9, 2015
Several European and U.S. security officials will also hold a special emergency meeting on Sunday in Paris about fighting terrorism.
In a sign of the tense atmosphere in France, a security perimeter was briefly imposed at Disneyland Paris on Saturday before being lifted, a spokesperson said, without elaborating. Movement around the park was back to normal by early afternoon.
Brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi shot 12 people at the office of Paris-based satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, led police on a chase for two days and were then cornered Friday at a printing house near Charles de Gaulle Airport. Separately on Friday, Amedy Coulibaly shot a policewoman to death, attacked a kosher market in Paris and threatened more violence unless authorities let the Kouachis go.
It all ended Friday evening with near-simultaneous raids at the printing house and market, which left all three gunmen dead. A police hunt is still ongoing for Coulibaly's wife, Hayat Boumeddiene, who was named as an accomplice in the shooting of the policewoman.
Five people are in custody in connection with the attacks, and family members of the attackers have been given preliminary charges.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press