Paris Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Nov. 13 Attacks with New Memorial and Silent Tributes

Paris remembers, 10 years on

Ten years after coordinated terrorist attacks turned Paris into a scene of bloodshed and shock, the French capital held solemn tributes to honor the 132 people killed and the hundreds left wounded. President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo led ceremonies at the principal sites of the attacks: Gate D of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, the café terraces in the 10th and 11th arrondissements, and the Bataclan concert hall.

Families first, quiet remembrance

Under a 'families first' protocol, relatives stood closest to the memorial plaques for each minute of silence, and a small group of family members accompanied the president during the wreath-laying. Organizers asked the public to keep gatherings calm and to respect the space of grieving relatives at each site.

Place de la République and citywide vigils

At Place de la République, people again left candles, flowers and notes at the base of the statue of Marianne and watched the official ceremonies on a large screen. Parents brought children to leave small tokens of remembrance, turning the square into a shared place of memory. On the eve of the anniversary, the statue and nearby buildings were lit in blue, white and red and dozens gathered for a nighttime vigil.

“Ten years later, the emotion is still intact,” Mayor Hidalgo said. “Hope must be shared despite the pain and the absence.”

Jardin du 13-Novembre: a new memorial

The commemorations culminated in the inauguration of the Jardin du 13-Novembre, a memorial garden opposite City Hall created in consultation with victims' associations. The garden features granite stelae bearing the 132 names of those killed, plantings that evoke the attack sites, benches for reflection and family-requested touches such as bird baths, nesting boxes and sheltered areas for children. The ceremony was attended by the president and the mayor.

As a quiet salute, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in the French tricolor after nightfall. The French Football Federation observed a minute of silence before France's World Cup qualifier at the Parc des Princes.

The night of Nov. 13, 2015

On Nov. 13, 2015, nine Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers struck Paris in rapid succession: suicide bombers detonated near the Stade de France, gunmen opened fire on café terraces in the eastern arrondissements, and attackers stormed the Bataclan at 9:47 p.m., where 90 people were killed before police ended the siege. Two survivors who later died by suicide have since been included among the victims.

Survivors, trials and the work of living on

For survivors, anniversaries can reopen deep wounds. Arthur Dénouveaux, a Bataclan survivor who leads the Life for Paris association, said: “You never fully heal. You just learn to live differently.” Many describe a second task after grief: rebuilding ordinary life — work, friendships, everyday noise — without flinching.

The 2021–2022 trial concluded with life imprisonment without parole for Salah Abdeslam, the lone surviving assailant, and convictions for 19 others. While legal accountability provided clarity for many, it did not erase trauma or the ongoing work of recovery.

As names were read and wreaths laid, officials and families delivered a consistent message: remember the victims, honor first responders and preserve the ordinary pleasures that the attackers sought to destroy. Planners said the objective of the commemorations was simple: grief without spectacle, and memory that leaves room for the living.

Contributors to this report included Nicolas Garriga and Sylvie Corbet in Paris.