French President Francois Hollande has been on a diplomatic drive since the Paris attacks to increase cooperation in tackling IS, which holds swathes of territory in both Syria and Iraq. The youngest victim was 17 years old and the oldest 68.
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But the mood was grim at the locked-down ceremony at Les Invalides.
Paris: Mourners bowed their heads and stood in sombre tribute as the names of the dead were read out on Friday at a ceremony to commemorate victims of the bombing and shooting rampage in Paris two weeks ago.
“They were France. They were shot dead because they were freedom”, Hollande said of the victims.
The ceremony, held at Les Invalides monument in central Paris, was attended by more than 2,000 people, including victims’ families, those wounded in the attacks, ministers and officials representing “all of the branches of the state”, according to a statement by the Elysee Presidential Palace.
“I promise you solemnly that France will do everything to destroy the army of fanatics who carried out these crimes”, said French President Francois Hollande. Mr Hollande stared straight ahead, before finally rising to speak. “I salute this new generation”.
Several extremists launched coordinated attacks across the city, killing some 130 people and injuring over 360 at several locations, including restaurants, the Bataclan concert hall and in the vicinity of the Stade de France stadium. Despite the reduction in alert level, Michel said an attack remained “possible and likely”. We will continue to go to the football stadium. It was this joy that they wanted to bury with the blast of their bombs. “Music was insufferable for terrorists”, French President François Hollande told the crowd, after Nolwenn Leroy, Camelia Jordana and Yael Naim played Belgian Jacques Brel’s song Quand on n’a que l’amour (“When we only have love”), and opera singer Natalie Dessay interpreted Barbara’s Perlimpinpin.
“We will not give in either to fear or to hate”, said Hollande in the courtyard of the historic Invalides, the 17th-century complex housing Napoleon’s tomb. “We believe that we would better create a single, united coalition as it would be easier, simpler and more efficient to coordinate our work that way”.
“These people have no connection at all with the terrorist movement, but our forces need to be totally focused on the protection of the French people”, Cazeneuve said, saying any serious public disturbance would distract police from their fight against terrorism.
Belgium on Tuesday also issued an global arrest warrant for Mohamed Abrini, 30, who was filmed along with Salah Abdeslam at a petrol station in Ressons, France on the motorway to Paris, in a Renault Clio which was later used in the attacks.
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Two people detained for questioning after searches in the eastern town of Verviers – where two jihadists were killed in a gunbattle with police in January – were released on Friday, the prosecutor said.
