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One Year Later, Paris Attacks Still Spark Fears

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 02:24 PST, Nov 12, 2016

It’s been one year since the horrific terrorist attacks that darkened the glimmer of the City of Lights. The 130 victims of the attacks are to be memorialized by Parisians with plaques and a special concert with the intent to demonstrate that fear will not destroy their nation’s solidarity and traditions.

The memories that linger of the events that occurred on November 13, 2015, remain vivid and have caused emotional wounds that are far from healed in many. Residents of Paris share their continued fears and worries since that fateful days. USA Today shared the words of Stanislas Dutillieux, 41, an owner of the audio-visual company DeeStan Prod.

“I keep thinking someone can just walk in and blow himself up. There is nothing we can do against terrorism. If someone is determined to kill, he can do it.”

Milva Pecquel, 32, who is a daily commuter of the Parisian metro and works as an illustrator, agrees, saying she no longer feels she is safe.

“When the metro stops in between stations, everyone stares at each other. We used to be worried about suspicious packages. Now we are afraid of each other.”

The Bataclan has been revamped after it was the scene for the most atrocious acts on the day of the attacks. It will reopen Saturday with a performance by British rocker Sting. Within its walls, three gunmen killed 90 concert attendees before police were able to shoot and kill the attackers.

It was one of three attacks that were coordinated by extremists and began in the northern border regions of Paris at the national sports stadium, Stade de France, where a trio of suicide bombers blew themselves up during a soccer match. Just after that assailants went on a shooting rampage that targeted businesses, including cafes and restaurants in the heart of the city.

The only surviving suspect, is a Belgian-born, French national Salah Abdeslan, and was arrested in Brussels this past March. He was extradited to Paris and remains in custody.

Sting recently shared on the topic of re-opening the Bataclan, as the publication notes.

“In re-opening the Bataclan, we have two important tasks to reconcile. First, to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago. Second, to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theater represents.”

Dutillieux shared that he was a regular frequenter of the Bataclan, but luckily he had been away on the night of the attack. He relays, however, that four of his friends lost their lives that night.

“I will never be able to go to the Bataclan as before. I can imagine myself entering the hall, seeing all these bodies, this pool of blood. It will take a long time before things go back to normal, if it is possible at all that they do.”

The theater has been rebuilt exactly as it stood ahead of the attacks. The hall was gutted and then restored with new materials that matched those of the old, as Bataclan director Jerome Langlet shares.

“To make this reopening possible, we decided to change everything in a bid to change nothing,” Langlet said. “From the roof to the floor, the paints, the tiles, even the seats. We wanted to make sure nothing would stay behind from that evening.”

Many companies and artisans offered to help rebuild the theater for free to demonstrate the unbreakable solidarity in the nation.”This shows once again that they (the terrorists) did not manage to divide us. This goodwill gave us the strength to move on,” he said.

However, on Sunday, the anniversary of the horrific event, the doors of the Bataclan will remain shut and lights left off in silence. Langlet states, “We shall never forget the victims.We shall continue to mourn.”

[Feature Image by Carsten Koall/Getty Images]

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