Terror attacks changed Parisians, but failed to defeat them

On the night of November 13, 2015, Paris was plunged into horror as extremist killers launched simultaneous attacks on bars, the national stadium and a concert hall, leaving 130 dead. If the bloodbath sought to crush the city’s much-envied lifestyle of pavement cafes and partying, it failed. Even as it mourned its dead, Paris defiantly resumed its traditional behaviour, recasting itself in its role as the City of Lights. Tourist numbers this year have surged, testifying to the French capital’s enduring allure. For the January-June period, hotels in the Paris region reported 16.4 million guests, the highest in a decade. But emotional scars remain, and even the physicality of the city has in some ways altered. timberland boots sale “When I’m in the cinema, I tend not to linger just behind the entrance, and when I’m in the restaurant, I don’t like to have my back to the window... I don’t feel safe,” said 39-year-old Aurore Humez. Parisians these days are used to the sight of security railings erected in front of concert halls and concrete bollards placed on pavements and outside schools to prevent ramming attacks by cars or trucks. Armed soldiers, typically patrolling in groups of three, also now seem to be part of the city’s landscape. Police routinely don bulletproof vests while on patrol and tout a gun on their belt. nike free 5.0 Workers, shoppers and tourists are expected to have their bags searched when they enter offices, department stores, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral or other monuments and museums. Jeff and Lauren Stieritz, an American couple aged 35 and 33 interviewed outside the Arc de Triomphe, said the attacks were still in the back of their minds. They found there were more police in Paris today than in their last visit seven years. Stephane, 56, said he scanned the faces of fellow passengers to see if they were a potential risk. For others, life just went on. lunette de soleil ray ban “I didn’t have the feeling that I was living in a dangerous town until my friends cancelled their stay,” said Vivien Chazelle, 31.