On Thursday, France paid a moving tribute to the memory of 130 people killed ten years ago during an attack carried out by Islamic State militants and suicide bombers that targeted cafes, restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall.
The attacks were the deadliest on French soil since World War II, affecting the national psyche and prompting emergency security measures, many of which have now been incorporated into law.
The November 13, 2015 attack began with suicide bombings that killed one person, bus driver Manuel Dias, outside the Stade de France, and continued with gunmen opening fire on five other locations in central Paris.
“Since November 13, there has been a void that cannot be filled,” Dias’ daughter Sophie said at the ceremony, her voice trembling with tears as she recalled the family’s endless phone calls throughout the night, trying to reach her father, before being told he was the attackers’ first victim.
“Let us raise awareness among the younger generations, convey the values of our republic and remind them of all the innocent lives lost, like the life of my father, who left too soon, for no reason at all,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron was among the prominent figures who showed their respect to Dias and the other victims by observing a minute of silence and laying wreaths outside the Stade de France.
Throughout the day, Macron, survivors and relatives of the victims will pay tribute to the dead and wounded at each site of the attacks.
Victims’ associations say two survivors of the attacks later committed suicide, bringing the total death toll to 132.
What made the November 13 attacks – which targeted places where people went out to have a good time – unique was “the fact that everyone was a potential victim,” historian Denis Piechansky said.
“The terrorists wanted to attack this culture of ours, a culture of joy, celebration, diversity, participation and music,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told RTL radio.
A decade later, the threat of such attacks in France has changed.
“An attack like the one we suffered, unfortunately, ten years ago on November 13, is less likely. The weakness of ISIS makes it much less likely,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told BFM television.
“However, the threat remains high… with individuals on national territory becoming radicalized very quickly and planning violent acts.”
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