The 13th November 2015 marks the anniversary of the attacks in Paris on various cafes and the music venue Bataclan. Nearly 150 people died under terrorist bullets that night and tomorrow many will remember family members and friends. The concert hall will re-open tonight with a concert by Sting, several French acts having declined to appear.
The attacks in Paris pointed out disastrous failures in French and Belgian intelligence. Most of the killers were known to the security services: one under a warrant for arrest, one under an order not to leave France. Yet they were able to plan an attack, visit Syria, hire cars, drive to Paris and back. It is said that Paris was a "wake up call" to the security services and far more stringent measures have been in place since. Sadly the Nice attack six months later, probably the work of a disturbed individual, has set back the process.
The fortitude of the Bataclan survivors, many of whom are part of a long term study and counselling group called "Remember", seems to be an example to the rest of us: life goes on, but never normally.
Not even a concert by Sting can bring normality back.
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