France will on Thursday remember the terrorist attacks of November 13, 2015, which killed more than 130 people and injured more than 400 when militants loyal to the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) group attacked multiple sites in Paris.
“The 10th anniversary is here and the emotions and stress are everywhere for us survivors,” said Arthur Denoveux, president of the victims’ organization Life for Paris. “It kind of shields us from the world, because we’re so focused on the grief and remembering those who lost their lives.”
DeNoveux was attending an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan Theater when three gunmen attacked the venue, killing 90 people.
“The hardest part is November 14 when you have to somehow get back to normal life and the sadness is still here, but the confinement is a little more distant,” Denovueux told The Associated Press.
Gunmen also attacked café-goers on the streets of Paris, as well as outside the Stade de France, where the French national team was playing Germany.
Commemorations led by Macron, Hidalgo
The main ceremony on Thursday will take place in a new memorial garden near Paris City Hall, with President Emmanuel Macron and Mayor Anne Hidalgo in attendance. A new memorial has been built, marking six sites of the violence along with the names of the victims.
Macron and Hidalgo will also lay wreaths at the sites of the attacks around Paris.
Parisians have been invited to leave cards and tributes at Republic Square and the Eiffel Tower.
A minute’s silence will be held before France’s World Cup qualifying game against Ukraine, which will take place at the Parc des Princes in Saint-Denis instead of the Stade de France.
Coach Didier Deschamps, who was also the national team manager 10 years ago, said the team was uncomfortable playing on the anniversary, but the team had no choice but to play or lose the chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The sole surviving attacker, Salah Abdeslam, is serving a life sentence in prison. Nineteen other associates have also been convicted.
Edited by: Kieran Burke