France today marks the solemn 10th anniversary of the November 13, 2015, Paris attacks, a series of devastating assaults that shook the capital and claimed the lives of 132 people, leaving over 350 injured. The attacks remain the deadliest on French soil since World War II, prompting a state of emergency and security measures, many of which have since become law.
A decade on, the psychological, political, and security ramifications of that night remain deeply etched in the minds of the French people. The coordinated attacks targeted six locations across the city. Explosions occurred near the Stade de France, during a France-Germany football match, while shootings unfolded in the bustling bars and restaurants of eastern Paris, near the Place de la République. The Bataclan theatre, in central Paris, became the site of the deadliest attack, claiming nearly 100 lives. A shopping center near Paris was also targeted.
Official commemorations began this morning at the Stade de France, where three suicide bombers detonated explosives outside the stadium. President Emmanuel Macron, alongside senior French officials, former ministers, survivors, and families of the victims, participated in a moment of silence and the laying of wreaths. From Saint-Denis, the official delegation proceeded to the cafes and restaurants in the 10th and 11th arrondissements, sites of indiscriminate gunfire, before concluding the day at the Bataclan.
In the Place de la République, the Paris municipality encouraged residents to participate in the commemoration by lighting candles, laying flowers, and writing messages of solidarity, evoking the massive public gatherings that followed the attacks ten years ago. The anniversary coincides with the inauguration of a memorial garden in tribute to the victims.
The enduring impact of the November 13th attacks continues to shape France’s security policies and national consciousness. The fight against terrorism remains a top priority for the French government.
