Directioners leave tributes for Payne

LONDON

Hundreds gathered on Oct. 20 in London’s Kensington Gardens to mourn Liam Payne as fans around the world grieved for the One Direction singer who died this past week.

Directioners, as supporters of the massively successful boy band are known, left tributes in London, Glasgow, Paris, Sydney and New York this weekend as they celebrated the life of the 31-year-old who died on Oct. 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

In London, they clapped and sang after gathering near a statue of Peter Pan, the fictional boy who never grew up created by J.M. Barrie. The mourners, mostly young women, left heart-shaped balloons, photographs and flowers at the base of the statute, which sits next to a narrow path next to a waterway known as The Long Water.

Mindful of the crowds in the limited space, organizers asked fans to leave their tributes then move away to allow others to approach the statue.

In Paris' Tuileries Gardens, hundreds of fans — many of them crying and carrying flowers — gathered to remember Payne.

They sang songs and consoled each other. Some lit candles. Others brought photos and artwork of Payne, as well as notes, letters and bouquets. About 400 people attended the gathering, overlooking Paris’ historic Place de la Concorde.