Man bikes grand piano to attacked Paris concert hall, plays Lennon's Imagine

As the world grieves the co-ordinated strikes in Francethat killed at least 129 people Friday night, a German musician showed his sympathy Saturday by bikinghis portable grand piano close tothe attacked Parisianconcert hall andplayingJohn Lennon's famous peace anthemImagine.

Davide Martello, who performs under the nameKlavierkunst,played the song about 100 metres from the entrance of the Bataclan concert hall, wheregunmenkilledhostages during a rock concert on Friday. The concert hallwas the scene of the Paris attacks' worst carnage,with an estimated89people killed there.

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Dozens of journalists and pedestrians took in the spontaneous street performance, filming it with their cameras. Claus Reinholdt of Denmark's TV2 watched the performance and told CBC News it was incredibly moving.

"He just pulled up and started playing. Everyone suddenly stopped talking while he played. It was a touching moment," he said in a written message.

A small hitch on the back of Martello's bike carried the piano, which had a peace sign on the top of it.

Martellotold CBC News that the idea came to him while he was sitting at apub in Konstanz, Germanywatching the friendly soccer match between France and Germany. One of the attacks took place outside theStade de France, which could be heard in the broadcast.

"After I saw that insane violence I just followed my heart and went to Paris with my piano," he told CBC News in an email.

"This was one of my most touching moments in my life."

Earlier Saturday, he posted on hisFacebookand Twitter accounts, identifying himself as the piano man.

Martellois known for bringing his portable piano to different parts of Europe.

He famously played in Istanbul'sTaksim Squarebackin 2013 during anti-government protests. Hewas later awarded the Wilhelm Haller Peace Prize for his performance there.