The bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Paris churches toll in memory of the victims of the attacks on November 13, 2015, 10 years since the deadliest attack on mainland France since World War II.
“Tonight, the bells of all the churches of Paris will ring, calling us all to unite as one,” Archbishop Laurent Ulrich said in a statement.He will pray for the 132 people who died (officially, two people died from post-traumatic stress), their families and loved ones, and “all those who survived that night and who still suffer from its effects.”
Therefore, “the great bells of all churches will ring between 5:57 p.m. and 6:02 p.m.” local time, specified Paris diocese.
10 years of “long nights of suffering”
“Ten years ago, our city mourned the deaths of 130 innocent people and was enveloped in cruel grief. For many of us, the memory of November 13, 2015 remains as a long night of suffering” and “a shock at the magnitude of evil,” Archbishop Ulrich declared in a message to the people of Paris.
The archbishop noted that a mass in memory of the victims would also be held in a church in Paris, and called on residents of the capital to light candles in their windows.
The memorial service is part of a day-long commemoration event and will be broadcast live on television. TF1 and france 2 and radio french interwill also be shown on the giant screen in Republic Square.
Memorial and memorial to the victims
From 11:30 local time, French President Emmanuel Macron. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and victims’ organizations gathered on the promenade of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (a Paris suburb) to remember the first victim of the night, a Portuguese man who died in one of three explosions in which a similar number of jihadists detonated explosives attached to their bodies.
Mr. Macron and Mr. Hidalgo will then tour the streets where a second special force consisting of three other terrorists opened fire with military rifles on people on the terraces of five bars and restaurants in the city (at 1:50 p.m.).
Next, they will go to Le Bataclan Hall (2:30 p.m.). There, a third special unit consisting of three jihadists burst in and opened fire on the rock concert attendees, killing 90 people.
November 13th Memorial Garden
However, the main event will take place from 6 p.m. The garden will be officially inaugurated on November 13th by Macron, Hidalgo, and Philippe Duperron and Arthur Denouveau, presidents of 13onze15 and the Life for Paris association, at a ceremony in Place Saint-Gervais, next to Paris City Hall. The first lost his son in the Bataclan, and the second survived the same attack.
The ceremony is expected to be attended by 1,500 guests, including victims, family members, judges, police officers, emergency services, medical services, first responders, and all those who responded on the night of November 13, 2015, as well as government and local government officials.
Under the artistic direction of Thierry Leboul, who is in charge of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Tree of Light will be the centerpiece of the performance during the two-hour ceremony. A 100-year-old elm tree, a symbol of Republican justice, will be transformed using a video projection system.
At its feet, a modernized electronic organ will accompany the Radio France Choir and the District 13 Choir, made up of 44 survivors, as well as other surprise performances that will be included in a commemorative album that will be available on all streaming music platforms after the event.
All proceeds will be donated equally to two victim organizations: 13onze15 and Vida por Paris.
rml (efe, ap)
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