We must listen to witnesses on the ground who are seeing abuse, duplicity, and the dereliction of duty firsthand. Our lives depend on their voices being heard. The op-ed by Sean Thomas, International Director of Investigations at Animal Equality.
Paris under attack. What happened and where
Parigi è stata colpita da una serie di attacchi terroristici. Almeno 127 i morti accertati. Decretato lo stato d’emergenza, chiuse le frontiere.
Unprecedented terrorist attacks have been carried out across Paris in the night of 13 November. At least 129 people were killed and 352 more were injured in the carnage, according to live information provided by many news agency. According to security forces, some attackers were suicide bombers: it is France’s first kamikaze attack.
Where
The attacks have been carried out in at least 6 different places across Paris: the first one, close to the Stade de France, few kilometres north of the city, whilst the national teams of France and Germany were competing in an exhibition game. The second one has been carried out at Bataclan, popular theatre that was crowded in occasion of the concert of the Californian group Eagles of Death Metal. At the same time, other public places have been attacked, in the centre of the city, between the 10th and the 11th arrondissement.
The city has established a sort of curfew: streets were emptied and shops closed. Thousands of policemen, gendarmes, firemen, and emergency vehicles entered into action. According to security forces, 8 attackers would have died.
The Bataclan massacre
45 minutes after the concert started, four people irrupted into the Bataclan, armed with kalashnikovs. Witnesses said that the attackers opened fire randomly, “reloading their guns at least three or four times”. Some cried for help on social networks: “I’m still at Bataclan. They’ll kill us one by one”.
Je suis encore au Bataclan. 1e étage. Blessée grave ! Qu ils donnent au plus vite l assaut. Il y a des survivants à l intérieur. Ils abattent tout le monde. Un par un. 1e étage vite !!!!
Posted by Benjamin Cazenoves on Viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2015
Some people ran on the roof. From there, some managed to enter neighbouring houses. Others ran away through the theatre’s secondary way outs. Some videos show people clung to windowsills, trying to flee from the carnage. After midnight, police special forces attacked. Some sources report that some 100 people have been killed, but the number still has to be confirmed. Some tv channels reported that policemen had to “walk on dead bodies” inside the theatre.
According to a journalist, attackers had no masks: “He was so close to me. As he entered the room, he opened fire. He was young, around 20. He was like a random guy holding a Kalashnikov. That’s all.”
The shooting in the 10th arrondissement
In the meanwhile, at Le Carillon café, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, at 9:20 p.m. the first explosion has been heard. Many thought it was just a firecracker. Shortly after, a man, without mask, entered the café and opened fire. At the same time, the Le Petit Cambodge, restaurant in front of the bar, has been hit by another shooting. From 12 to 14 people were killed.
Le jour d’après dans la presse française https://t.co/5Uhqm3XXUp pic.twitter.com/VxdrDPrhqM
— Le Monde (@lemondefr) 14 Novembre 2015
19 people killed at Rue de Charonne
Two men opened fire on the tables outside the La Belle Équipe café, Rue de Charonne (11th arrondissement). Witnesses said they heard tens of shots. 19 people died. A resident told the newspaper Libération what she saw from the window: “Two people with guns. I heard shots. Many shots. It lasted at least 3 minutes. Attackers then got into the car, headed towards the Charonne station”.
Three suicide bombers at the stadium
The public clearly heard some explosions. According to AFP, they were due to suicide bombers. The French President of the Republic Francois Hollande was attending the match. He was immediately escorted to the Elysee palace. People have been gathered in the soccer field.
France declares the state of emergency
As soon as the he went back to the city, Hollande briefly talked announcing the decision of declaring the national state of emergency, closing the country’s borders (and suspending the Schengen Agreement). Therefore, an extraordinary council of ministers has been held, with the presence of the Premier Manuel Valls and the Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. The morning after Holland addressed the nation: “What happened yesterday in Paris and in Saint Denis is an act of war and this country needs to make the right decisions to fight this war”.
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