Late Friday night, Paris was hit with a number of coordinated attacks that left over a hundred dead and many more injured. A friendly football match between France and Germany, attended by French President François Hollande, was one location targeted by gunmen and suicide bombers. There were shootings in multiple locations, and deadliest of all, a hostage situation at the Bataclan concert hall that left at least 80 people dead. There were many more injuries, many of which left victims in critical condition and the exact casualty toll is still uncertain.
The three explosions at the football match were relatively less deadly than the other attacks, with only a few people killed. This was thanks to the security measures at the stadium; at least one of the attackers had a ticket to the match and intended to set off his explosive vest inside the stadium. Had he succeeded, not only would the explosion have taken place in the middle of a dense crowd, killing and injuring many more, but the ensuing panic may have been even more deadly. However, security officers caught the attacker at the entrance and discovered the explosive device; the bomber then set off the device outside. Minutes later, two more bombers detonated themselves nearby the stadium. Those watching the match were not immediately aware that they were under attack as fireworks explosions are a fairly common occurrence at European football matches. President Hollande was immediately evacuated without incident. However, that was the end of the good news from that night.
Almost simultaneously, gunman opened fire on several restaurants in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, an area known for it’s nightlife. Within minutes, there were more shootings at restaurants and bars in the 11th arrondissement, and a fourth explosion went off in the area.
However, by far the deadliest situation of the attack took place at the Bataclan, where an American band, the Eagles of Death Metal, were playing to a crowd of 1,500; several attackers stormed the building and held much of the audience hostage for more than two hours. The gunmen sprayed bullets sporadically into the audience, allegedly while shouting “Allahu Akbar” and claiming that they were motivated by France’s actions in Syria and Iraq. A little after midnight, French forces pushed into the building; one of the terrorists was shot, while three more triggered their explosive belts.
Later on Friday night, a refugee camp in the french port town of Calais caught fire; it is unclear whether this was a tragic accident, an unrelated crime, perhaps in retaliation, or a part of the same attack.
As of now, the French authorities believe that all of the actual attackers are dead; however, the authorities are searching for possible accomplices. Only two of the attackers have been identified at the time of writing: Abdul Akbak B., surname still unknown, and Omar Ismaïl Mostefai, a French citizen who had been identified as a radical before the attacks. Mostefai’s father and brother are in police custody; the brother is reportedly assisting the police voluntarily. There have also been a number of arrests in Belgium, along with several police raids. The investigation is, of course, still in its early stages.
In the wake of the attacks, President Hollande declared a state of national emergency; public places such as schools and universities were closed, and curfews were imposed. The military was also called into Paris. One disturbing discovery is that of a Syrian passport with the body of a dead gunman; the passport indicates that he had recently passed through the Greek island of Leros, claiming to be a refugee. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls declared “We are at war…in France and in Europe, we’ll chase the authors of this act, and also in Syria and Iraq.”
The Islamic State, frequently referred to as ISIS, are the obvious suspects in this attack, and have indeed claimed responsibility. Experts believe that the attacks were carried out by three separate teams, and that the attacks required a great deal of coordination and planning.
This terrible attack intensifies the debate regarding the refugee crisis; many argue that allowing thousands of people from a volatile part of the world to enter their countries is an unacceptable security risk, citing the abovementioned passport in particular as evidence that, at the very least, militants are using the refugees as a smokescreen to enter Western countries. Others respond that the refugees are fleeing the exact group that carried out the attacks, and that the priority is to attack the organization responsible rather than their victims. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s government states that these attacks have not changed Canada’s plan to accept 25,000 refugees.
President Rouhani of Iran, who was scheduled to visit France this week, cancelled his visit due to France’s tragic situation; he also condemned the attacks on Twitter and said, along with millions of others, “Our thoughts & prayers are with you.” The entire world is rallying to support France; major world leaders have given sympathetic statements. Notable among these are American President Obama, who called France “Our oldest ally”, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
On social media, the French colours of red, white, and blue, are becoming popular, with many changing their Facebook profile pictures to support the French people. Major landmarks around the world are lit with these same colours in a show of solidarity; the Empire State Building, instead, is dark in mourning.
The French themselves reacted quickly, with the hashtag #porteouverte, meaning “open door”, trending as Parisians opened their homes to those fleeing the violence. The German national football team, who were playing the friendly match against France that was cruelly interrupted, feared to go back to their hotel due to an earlier bomb threat; it is not yet known if that was related to the attacks. Instead, they elected to stay in the stadium overnight; the French team refused to leave without them and remained in the Stade de France throughout the night. They were also accompanied by many fans, who left around midnight singing “La Marsellaise”, the national anthem of France.
After the attacks were over, many held vigils in honour of the victims; famously, one musician brought a piano to the Bataclan, the site of the deadliest attack, and played John Lennon’s “Imagine” for the crowd of mourners. The entire world grieves with them.
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