France on Thursday marked the 10th anniversary of the Paris terror attacks, when Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in a night of horror across cafés, restaurants, and the Bataclan concert hall — the deadliest assault on French soil since World War II. Many survivors continue to live with lasting trauma from that night.
The coordinated attacks, which unfolded on November 13, 2015, scarred the French nation and led to sweeping emergency security measures — many of which remain part of French law today.
The rampage began with suicide blasts outside the Stade de France, where then-President François Hollande and Germany’s foreign minister were attending a football match. Gunmen then opened fire at several other locations in central Paris, including five bustling bars and restaurants, before storming the Bataclan concert hall during a performance by the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal.
At 11:30 a.m. (1030 GMT) on Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron joined officials, survivors, and families of victims to honor those who were killed and wounded. The commemorations began at the Stade de France and continued at each of the attack sites, ending at the Bataclan.
“The Smell of Blood”
Sebastian Lascoux, who was inside the Bataclan that night, recalled how what sounded like firecrackers soon turned into gunfire. “People ended up crushed together, collapsed as one,” said Lascoux, now 46. “And then there was the smell of blood.” One of his friends was shot dead while shielding another. “He saved her life,” Lascoux said. He still suffers from post-traumatic stress and avoids crowds and confined spaces; even the sound of popping noises triggers flashbacks.
“What made the November 13 attacks unique,” said historian Denis Peschanski, “was that everyone was a potential victim. Either you could have been there, or someone you love could have been.”
“Life Goes On”
Catherine Bertrand, another Bataclan survivor and vice president of a victims’ association, said, “We all agree that it marked us forever. We are deeply traumatized, and our thoughts always return to the victims and their loved ones.” Still, she added, “Life goes on. There are concerts again at the Bataclan, and we meet friends at the same cafés — life continues.”
A decade later, French security officials say the nature of the threat has changed. Groups like Islamic State no longer have the capability to plan large-scale coordinated attacks in France, but their online propaganda continues to radicalize young people drawn to violence on social media.
This week, French anti-terrorism prosecutors launched an investigation into the former partner of the suspected sole surviving attacker, underscoring how the shadow of that night still lingers 10 years on.
