Paris one year in review: Terrorism remains a terrifying threat.

(Baonghean) - One year after the terrorist attacks in Paris, the local people seem unchanged, still frequenting the restaurants and cafes that were once the targets of the attackers. Normal life seems to have returned, but the pain remains, and people never stop remembering the unfortunate victims.

Painful memories

One year after the terrorist attacks on the City of Lights, Parisians are preparing to commemorate the 130 victims with memorial plaques, a special concert, and a determination not to let fear destroy their tradition of solidarity.

The memories of the horrific day of November 13, 2015, remain vivid, and the emotional wounds may never heal. Stanislas Dutillieux, 41, owner of the audiovisual company DeeStan Prod, shared: “I always imagine someone walking in and detonating a suicide bomb. We can’t do anything to stop terrorism. If someone is determined to kill, they can make it happen.”

A memorial site for the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 130 people and injured 413. Photo: AFP

Milva Pecquel, 32, an illustrator who commutes daily on the Paris subway, agrees that people no longer feel safe and secure. She says, “When the subway stops between stations, people stare at each other. Before, we were worried about suspicious packages. Now they’re wary of each other.”

The Bataclan Theatre – the scene of the most horrific crime on that fateful day – has now been renovated and will reopen with a performance by famous British rock singer Sting on the night of November 12th – just before the memorial service for the 90 audience members who were murdered by three gunmen before police could storm the building and shoot them dead.

This was just one of many tragedies stemming from a series of coordinated attacks that began in the northern suburbs of Paris, near the Stade de France national stadium, where three suicide bombers detonated their bombs during a football match. Shortly afterward, another group of attackers armed with Kalashnikov automatic rifles continued the spree, targeting cafes and restaurants in the bustling heart of the capital.

Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect, a French national born in Belgium, was apprehended in Brussels in March and subsequently extradited to Paris. He is currently being held in high custody there.

Keep moving forward, but never forget.

“Reopening the Bataclan theater means 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 music that exist in the form of this historic theater,” artist Sting declared.

Dutillieux, a regular at the Bataclan theater, was fortunate not to be there on that tragic night. But his four colleagues were not so lucky. He said, “I will never be able to go to the Bataclan theater with the same feeling again. I can picture myself walking into the theater and seeing bodies everywhere, a sea of ​​blood. With what the terrorists have done, it will probably take a very long time before things can return to normal.”

Theater director Jerome Langlet said that Bataclan was rebuilt exactly as it was before the terrorist attack. Workers removed the old interior and replaced it with new items while maintaining its original appearance. Langlet said, “To be able to reopen the theater, we decided to change everything without making it look like anything else. From the roof to the floor, every painting, every tile, even the seats, we wanted to make sure that nothing was altered from before.”

Many home repair companies and craftspeople have offered to help rebuild the theater free of charge, as a show of solidarity after the devastating storm. He said, “This once again demonstrates the fact that the terrorists failed to achieve their plot to divide us. The goodwill of the people will give us the strength to move forward.”

However, this coming Sunday, the doors of the Bataclan theater will be closed, all the lights will be turned off, and the theater will be silent for a day. “We will never forget the victims. We will continue to mourn them,” the theater director said sadly.

The French government also plans to launch a website displaying 7,000 posters, paintings, and other items commemorating the deceased, collected from memorial sites that sprang up after the attacks.

Security problem

France is clearly not yet at peace. The state of emergency remains in effect, with approximately 100,000 security personnel – including police, gendarmes, and armed soldiers – deployed to the capital Paris and other major cities. Due to miscalculation, French President François Hollande declared an end to the state of emergency on July 14th, the very day an extremist drove a truck into crowds celebrating National Day in Nice, killing 86 people. Following this incident, political analyst Christophe Barbier stated that security measures aimed at reassuring the French public had failed, and that France “still doesn’t know how to prevent attacks.”

The Bataclan Theatre, which was the target of an attack on November 13, 2015. Photo: AFP

As a precautionary measure, shops, movie theaters, stadiums, and museums have tightened security, hiring extra guards, checking visitors' bags, and using additional metal detectors. Some people feel they have lost their necessary privacy and are uncomfortable feeling that everyone seems suspicious and worthy of their attention.

As France approaches its 2017 presidential elections, security concerns are becoming increasingly heightened. Experts have even mentioned that some right-wing opposition leaders have recently called for a "French-style Guantanamo Bay prison" to monitor individuals deemed by security officials as potentially posing a threat to society.

Somewhere, some politicians have sought to gain support by sowing hatred and fear among the French people, falsely accusing Muslim immigrants of being the source of terrorism. And thus, the fears already present in France are amplified by these ideological seeds.

Phu Binh(According to USAToday)