November 2015 Paris attacks

A series of coordinated attacks took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the nearby area of Saint-Denis. The attacks began outside the Stade de France during a football match, where three attackers tried to enter the stadium but failed. They later caused explosions. Other attackers shot at people in busy cafés and restaurants in Paris. At the same time, a group entered a concert hall where many people were watching a band called the Eagles of Death Metal. They held many people inside until police arrived.

In total, the attacks caused many deaths and injuries. The attacks were among the worst in recent European history and were carried out by a group based in Belgium and Syria. The group responsible said the attacks were a response to France’s military actions in Syria and Iraq.

After the attacks, France declared a state of emergency to help keep people safe. The country also carried out airstrikes against the group responsible. The events showed how important it is to stay alert and work together to prevent such terrible actions in the future.

Background

See also: Terrorism in France and Opération Chammal

France had been very careful about safety because of earlier attacks, like the Charlie Hebdo shooting and a series of related attacks in January. The country increased security for an important meeting about climate change that was going to happen in Paris later that year.

In the months before the attacks in November, there were some smaller scary events in France, like a stabbing of three soldiers near a Jewish community centre in Nice and an attempt to blow up a factory.

The Bataclan theatre had been threatened before because of its support for Jewish organisations. Some people had even talked about planning an attack there because its owners were Jewish.

In the weeks before the November attacks, a group had taken down an airplane and carried out bombings in another country.

Intelligence agencies in other countries had warned France that an attack might happen, but France didn’t get those warnings until after the attacks happened.

Attacks

On November 13, 2015, a series of attacks happened in Paris, France, and nearby Saint-Denis. The attacks began around 9:16 PM when three people set off explosives near the Stade de France stadium. This happened while a football match was going on.

Other attackers shot at people in several cafes and restaurants in Paris. One of these attackers also set off an explosive. These attacks caused many injuries and deaths. The attackers used vests filled with explosives and coordinated their actions from Belgium.

Perpetrators

See also: Brussels Islamic State terror cell

Three groups of three men each carried out the attacks. They wore explosive vests and belts. Seven of the attackers died at the scenes of their attacks. Two more were killed a few days later during a police operation. The tenth person involved drove the attackers but did not go through with his plan.

On November 14, 2015, a group called ISIL said they were responsible for the attacks. They said this was because they were angry about Paris and because of military actions in Syria and Iraq.

Some of the attackers were from France and Belgium, and others were from Iraq. Some had traveled to Syria and returned. Police searched for others who may have helped plan the attacks. They found cars with weapons and arrested several people for questioning.

Main article: Saint-Denis police raid

Casualties

The attackers caused many injuries and deaths. About 130 people were killed, and many more were hurt. Some of the deadliest spots were a theater and several cafes and restaurants.

Many people were deeply affected by what happened, and some faced serious emotional challenges in the years that followed.

Legal proceedings

Main article: Paris attacks trial

In 2021, a big trial began in Paris for 20 men who were accused of planning and doing the attacks. The trial took place in a special room inside the Palais de Justice. Many people, including witnesses and victims, were expected to share what they saw. The trial lasted about nine months. All 20 men were found guilty. Salah Abdeslam, the only person who survived the attacks, was given a life sentence without the chance to leave prison. Most of the other men were also found guilty of helping with the attacks.

In 2022, a doctor at a hospital faced problems for using a patient's medical image online without asking her first. The image showed a bullet near the patient’s arm.

Responses

Local

Main article: Reactions to the November 2015 Paris attacks § Popular reactions

After the attacks, Parisians used the hashtag #portesouvertes ("open doors") to offer shelter to those who were afraid to travel home.

As had been the case in January after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the Place de la République became a focal point of mourning, memorial, and tributes. An impromptu memorial also developed near the Bataclan theatre. On 15 November, two days after the attacks, a memorial service was held at Notre Dame Cathedral, presided over by the Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, with several political and religious figures in attendance.

Muslim organisations in France, such as the Union of Islamic Organisations of France, strongly condemned the attacks in Paris. The attacks affected business at high-profile venues and shopping centres in Paris, and many Parisians were concerned the attacks might lead to unfair treatment of Muslims in the city. Sales of the French flag, which the French had rarely displayed prior to the attacks, increased dramatically after the attacks.

On 4 December, the Bonne Bière café reopened, adorned by a banner with the slogan "Je suis en terrasse" ("I'm on the Terrace"). A street cleaner told France 24 that the city had removed six truckloads of wilted flowers and several kilograms of candles from memorials placed around this and the other shooting scenes: "We didn't really want to get rid of things, but it feels a bit like a cemetery with all the flowers."

National

Government

President Hollande issued a statement asking the French people to stay strong. He also visited the Bataclan theatre and vowed to fight against harmful actions. Hollande chaired an emergency meeting that night and directed his national security council to meet the next morning. The authorities urged the residents of Paris to stay indoors for their own safety and declared a state of emergency. Hollande canceled his trip because of the attacks, instead sending other leaders as his representatives. On 14 November, Hollande announced three days of national mourning. On 16 November, Hollande convened a special Congress of the French Parliament to address the attack and lay out plans he wanted to take in response to them.

On 4 December 2015, the French government published a guide in form of a cartoon on how to stay safe during harmful situations. The guide is to be posted in public places and be available online.

In July 2016, the French government published the report of a commission of inquiry into possible security failings relating to the terrorist attacks in Paris. The report recommended the establishment of a single "national anti-terrorism agency".

In August 2016, minister of the interior Bernard Cazeneuve stated that about 20 places of worship and more than 80 speakers had been asked to leave France since 2012.

Military

On 15 November, the French Air Force launched the biggest airstrike of Opération Chammal, its bombing campaign against a group, sending 10 aircraft to drop 20 bombs on Raqqa, the city where the group was based. On 16 November, the French Air Force carried out more airstrikes on targets in Raqqa, including a command centre and a training camp. On 18 November 2015, French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle left its home port of Toulon heading towards the eastern Mediterranean to support bombing operations carried out by the international coalition. This decision was taken before the November attacks but was accelerated by the events.

French authorities regularly gave detailed information to US authorities on the whereabouts of important members in the Syria-Iraq zone to be tracked and protected. This cooperation led to American air strikes being able to protect the planners of the 13 November 2015 attacks. United States authorities cooperated as they consider that if harmful actions hadn't taken place in France, they would have done so in the US instead.

Public

Applications to join the French Army, which were around 100-150 per day in 2014, rose to 1,500 in the week following the attacks, higher than the rise to 400 after the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January.

Domestic politics

All major political parties, including Hollande's governing Socialist Party, Marine Le Pen's National Front, and Nicolas Sarkozy's Republicans temporarily stopped their election campaigns for the upcoming French regional elections. There was a nationwide minute of silence at noon which President Hollande and several ministers observed at a ceremony at the Paris Sorbonne University.

On 18 November, Hollande reaffirmed France's commitment to accept 30,000 Syrian refugees over the next two years. This was despite the doubts that the harmful actions had sown in people's minds. His announcement drew a standing ovation from a gathering of French mayors.

However, in the election campaign for the regional elections of France, to begin on 6 December 2015, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National party who was vying to be president of the Nord-Pas de Calais area, was recommending strong security measures. She was getting a great deal of attention with her strong views and may have been helping to change public opinion across France. "The number of people coming to our country must be stopped," Le Pen told the CBC in an interview. Le Pen was doing well in opinion polls as of early December 2015. Since the elections would start only weeks after the Paris attacks, she was thought to be getting benefits from the timing, when the fear of harmful actions was still very strong.

European Union

Main article: Reactions to the November 2015 Paris attacks § European Union

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, rejected calls to change the European Union's policy on migration. Dismissing suggestions that open borders led to the attacks, Juncker said he believed that the attacks should be met with a stronger display of liberal values, including internal open borders. European Commission Vice-president Federica Mogherini and EU defence ministers unanimously backed France's request for help in military missions.

The United Kingdom has stated its intent to help France with operations in Syria, while some countries intend to aid France by taking over activities in Africa. Germany announced sending troops to Mali and military trainers to Kurdish forces in Iraq, and on 4 December voted in favour of deploying aircraft and a frigate in an effort to aid the French forces over Syria.

The attacks prompted European officials to re-evaluate their stance on EU policy toward migrants, especially in light of the ongoing European migrant crisis. Many German officials believed a higher level of scrutiny was needed, and criticised German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while the German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel defended her.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that he would meet with EU ministers to discuss how to deal with harmful actions across the European Union. Meeting reports indicated that Schengen area border controls have been tightened for EU citizens entering or leaving, with passport checks and systematic screening against biometric databases.

Poland's European affairs minister designate Konrad Szymański declared that he saw no possibility of enacting the recent EU refugee relocation scheme. The new Prime Minister of Poland, Beata Szydło said she would ask the EU to change its decision on refugee quotas. Szydło said Poland would honour the commitment made by the previous government to accommodate 9,000 refugees.

Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, rejected the concept of mandatory resettlement quotas.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka criticised President Miloš Zeman for supporting groups and spreading unfair ideas, according to Reuters, whose report added that the Sobotka government had been protecting people.

Shortly after the attacks, intelligence staff in multiple countries began to review electronic surveillance recorded before the attacks. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democratic member of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said he did not know of any intercepted communications that would have provided warning of the attacks.

One source said the French National Police met with German police and intelligence services a month before the attack to discuss suspicions that harmful people were watching possible targets in France. The exact targets were not known at that time.

Police in Germany stopped a car on 5 November, arrested its driver, and confiscated weapons that may have been connected to the Paris attacks.

Some of the attackers were known to law enforcement officials prior to the attacks, and at least some of the attackers lived in the Molenbeek area of Brussels, which is noted for its links to extremist activities. A counter-terrorism expert said the fact that the perpetrators were known to authorities suggested that information was "pretty good" but the ability to act on it was lacking. The number of Europeans who have links to Syria makes it difficult for security services to keep track of them all.

On 26 December 2015, Belgian newspaper De Morgen reported that a police oversight body, known as Committee P, is investigating why prior warnings from a school about the radicalisation of one of the attackers, Bilal Hadfi, were not reported to Belgian law enforcement.

On 8 March 2021, Italian police arrested a 36-year-old Algerian man on suspicion of helping authors of the Paris attacks and for belonging to the Islamic State group. It was reported that he had "guaranteed the availability of forged documents" to the Paris attackers.

Security changes

In France

After the attacks, France put in place a special safety rule for the first time since 2005. Soldiers helped police keep things calm in Paris. Some airports had delays, and some train stations were closed. Schools and universities stayed shut the next day. Big events like sports and concerts were called off. Famous places like Disneyland Paris and the Eiffel Tower were closed for a short time.

The leader of France announced extra safety rules to help keep everyone secure. These rules gave police more power, but also meant some personal freedoms were limited. These safety rules were kept in place for many months, even after another attack happened later.

Belgium

Belgium also made its borders safer and checked people more carefully. Later, the city of Brussels had to close schools, shops, and public transport because there were worries about more attacks. People were told to stay away from big groups to keep everyone safe.

International

Cities around the world, including in the United States, took extra safety steps. Places where many people gather, like sports events and embassies, had more police. Other countries also increased their security to make sure everyone stayed safe.

International reactions

Main article: Reactions to the November 2015 Paris attacks

Many leaders around the world and groups shared messages showing care and support after the attacks happened.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to make it harder for people from Syria and Iraq to come to the United States. Some leaders in the United States also said they would not welcome people from Syria.

Muslim officials and groups

Main article: Reactions to the November 2015 Paris attacks § Responses from Muslim groups

Leaders and important people from Muslim communities around the world spoke out against the attacks. This included the head teacher at a big school in Egypt, leaders in Saudi Arabia, and the president of Iran.

The leader of Syria also spoke out against the attacks but said that France’s actions in Syria had helped create problems. Other groups fighting in Syria also spoke out against the attacks.

Related incidents

Hanover bombing plot

A few days after the attacks, on 17 November, a soccer game planned at HDI-Arena in Hanover between Germany and the Netherlands was called off. Thousands of fans left the arena after a warning about possible bombs. Many important leaders were supposed to attend to show support for France.

According to information from French experts, there were plans to set off several bombs near the stadium. German leaders did not share many details, saying some facts might worry people too much. Police did not find any bombs, but some reports said hidden explosives were seen. At the same time, another music venue in Hanover and a train station were also cleared because of worries about safety. Two flights from the United States to Paris were also sent to different cities because of similar worries.

2016 Brussels raids

Main article: 2016 Brussels police raids

On 15 March 2016, police in Belgium searched a house in the Brussels area of Forest. The search was linked to the earlier attacks in Paris. During this search, four police officers were hurt, and police began looking for people who had escaped.

Three days later, on 18 March 2016, more searches happened in the Molenbeek area of Brussels. During these searches, two people were hurt and another person did not survive. Five people were arrested, including one man thought to be involved in the Paris attacks.

Media depictions

After the sad events in Paris in November 2015, many artists shared their experiences and feelings through different kinds of stories. A French artist named Fred Dewilde wrote a book in 2016 called Mon Bataclan about what he saw that night. A music group called Pierce the Veil also made a song named "Circles" to remember what happened.

Later, filmmakers made movies and TV shows about the days after the attacks and how people tried to find answers. One film from 2019 looked at a person who survived but was being questioned by police. Another film in 2022 showed how the attacks changed the lives of people who were stuck in a restaurant. In 2024, a TV series told the story from the point of view of the French Secret Service.

Legacy

In November 2025, ten years after some very sad events, a special garden was opened to remember those who were hurt. This garden is located near Paris City Hall and was made with help from groups that support the victims. Leaders from France, including the president, attended the opening ceremony.

A few months later, some people damaged the garden by knocking over lights and leaving trash behind. There were also some hurtful words written on the walls.