A decade has passed since a series of coordinated terror attacks shook France to its core, and the nation now gathers to honour the 130 lives lost and more than 400 injured in the deadliest violence on French soil since the Second World War.
A Nation's Grief and Lasting Trauma
Ten years on, survivors of the Paris attacks continue to grapple with profound trauma as France prepares for solemn tributes. Arthur Dénouveaux, a 39-year-old survivor and president of the victims' association Life for Paris, described the overwhelming emotions marking this painful anniversary.
"The 10th anniversary is here and emotions and tension are everywhere for us survivors," Dénouveaux explained. "That kind of shields us from the world in a way, because we're so focused on the grief and on remembering those who lost their lives."
The Night That Changed France
On 13 November 2015, nine Islamic State group gunmen and suicide bombers struck within minutes of one another at multiple locations across Paris. The coordinated assault began with attacks on fans at the Stade de France stadium and cafe patrons, culminating in a horrific bloodbath at the Bataclan concert hall during a performance by American rock band Eagles of Death Metal.
The official death toll stands at 130 people, with authorities also recognising two survivors who later took their own lives as consequences of their physical and mental trauma.
Dénouveaux, who attended the Eagles of Death Metal concert, recalled the terrifying moment when three gunmen burst into the Bataclan at 9:47 p.m., firing indiscriminately and killing 90 people. He escaped by crawling toward an emergency exit.
"I remember crawling on top of bodies. I believe most of the people were pretending to be dead and were not dead, but still," he recounted. "And I remember a few faces or at least a few facial expressions of people who were necessarily dead because of the angle of the neck, because of colour of the skin."
Commemoration and Moving Forward
Thursday's main ceremony will take place at a newly created memorial garden by Paris City Hall, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, survivors and victims' families. The garden, designed with contributions from those affected, features steles engraved with victims' names representing the six attack sites.
President Macron's office stated: "The nation will gather to honour the memory of those who lost their lives, show its unwavering support for their loved ones, express its gratitude to all those who intervened (that night), and reaffirm its ongoing commitment to the fight against terrorism."
Dénouveaux, involved in the memorial project from its inception, described it as aiming to create "a place that remembers the dead but also a place of life, a place that is beautiful, that is serene."
The French football federation will also honour victims during the national team's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine at Parc des Princes, with a minute's silence observed before kickoff.
For survivors like Dénouveaux, the journey through trauma has been long and challenging. "It took me a year and a lot of medicines to overcome the most critical phases of post-traumatic stress disorder," he shared, though he remains cautious about claiming full recovery.
The 2021-2022 trial resulted in life imprisonment without parole for Salah Abdeslam, the lone surviving attacker, with 19 other men also convicted for their roles in the atrocities.
As France reflects on this dark chapter, Dénouveaux poignantly summarised the survivor's experience: "There are three mourning phases to be done: the mourning for those who died, the mourning for the person you were … and the mourning of the image people have of you."
