Ten years to the day after that horrific evening that left Paris bloodied, with 132 dead and more than 400 wounded, how can we preserve the memory? This is the haunting question behind the commemorations taking place in various locations across the French capital these days. ‘Paris was struck by horror when several Islamist terrorist commandos attacked the heart of what makes our city vibrant: its youth, its terraces, its taste for music and freedom,’ the Paris City Council said in a statement.

In 2021-2022, the historic trial of these tragic attacks will have enabled us to take a decisive step towards justice in an attempt to overcome the trauma experienced by the victims, both direct and indirect. This tenth anniversary now raises questions about the place of these attacks in our collective memory. It also shows that French society, while not yet succumbing to the trap of hatred and division set by terrorism, is still reeling from the shockwave of these tragic events.