On the night of November 13, Parisians stood distressed in the wake of organized terrorist attacks throughout France. Heartbroken and confused, the people of France solemnly waited for answers to make sense of the terror that just happened.

At 9:20 p.m., the first of bombings occurred outside near the entrance of the Stade de France during a soccer match with Paris playing Germany. A suicide bomber executed the attack and killed four people. President Francois Hollande attended the game but fortunately evaded the attack.

At 9:25 p.m., two gunmen armed with assault rifles unleashed a barrage of bullets at two restaurants, Le Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge. 15 people were killed and ten were left in critical conditions.

The second bombing at the Stade de France happened at 9:30pm outside the entrance.

Two minutes later, attackers drove by A La Bonne Biere opening fire at the bar. Five people were killed and eight others were seriously wounded.

At 9:36 p.m., another black vehicle gunned the restaurant La Belle Equipe where 19 people were killed and nine were left in critical conditions.

At 9:40 p.m., a suicide bomber detonated himself inside the restaurant Comptoir Voltaire. The bomber left one person seriously injured and several others slightly harmed.

At the same time, three attackers took people hostage during a rock concert at the Bataclan. At 12:20, the French police units stormed the Bataclan. The police unit killed one attacker, and the other two detonated their suicide belts as the police entered. 89 people were killed, excluding the attackers.  

Finally, the attacks ended with the third bombing at the Stade de France.

The World Reacts

The Eiffel Tower stood in darkness as a gesture of mourning in the wake of the events. However, landmarks all over the world shined blue, red, and white to show Paris the unyielding support they had from countries across the globe. The Sydney Opera House, the Burj al-Khalifa, and even our own City Hall showed their solidarity, using France’s colors.

The Prime Minister of France, François Hollande, delivered a speech to address the country, declaring a state of emergency as the attacks occurred. “Faced with terror, France must be strong,” says Hollande, calling for solidarity despite the horror.

President Obama made a statement on the attacks expressing the heartbreak. “The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States… we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism,” said Obama on the night of the attacks. At the site of Bataclan, he laid down a single white rose to pay his respects to the victims.

The politics surrounding what will be done is ambiguous. Currently, Obama is stern as to the necessary actions: to avoid the Middle East land wars. However, the public disagrees with Obama’s stance and considers it to be insufficient. Russia still is firm on its relationship with Iran and Bashar Al-Assad. Although it has initiated efforts to curb terrorism, many argue that more extensive moves must be enacted.

The intentions behind the ISIS attacks are still unclear, and nationwide political responses are not yet definite. As of now, all that can be done is to recover. The world united will get through these horrible events together with France. The hearts of the SHC community go out to the people of France.