Le Blog Magnifique!: JE SUIS CHARLIE (I am Charlie)

During the past week, we have heard from many of you about the horrific events that were taking place in Paris - the murders of cartoonists and journalists at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, the killing of three police officers, and the death of four Jewish hostages at a kosher market. We felt humbled to the be the guests of a city and a nation reeling in pain from the recent events. The mood in Paris is heartbroken and defiant. At no time have we felt personally threatened in any way.

Here is a chronology of events:

Wednesday, 7-Jan, 2015, 11:20 AM: Said and Chérif Kouachi storm the Paris offices of the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. The French-Algerian brothers kill eight journalists, a caretaker, bodyguard, and a visitor. They return to their car and exchange fire with police blocking their escape route. They kill an injured police officer, execution style as they escape.

Wednesday afternoon: The Kouachi brothers abandon the car and hijack another to make their escape from Paris.

Thursday, 8-Jan, 2015, 10 AM: The Kouachi brothers hold up a gas station at gunpoint in the town of Villers Cotteret, about 10 km from the Charles De Gaulle airport. Thousands of security personnel are deployed in the area. Two runways are shut down at CDG.

Later Thursday, the news emerges that a policewoman has been shot and killed.

Friday 9-Jan, 2015, morning: The Kouachi brothers hijack a third car. Police chase them to a printing works facility in an industrial complex near the airport. They have taken a hostage.

Friday, 9-Jan, 2015, noon: Our daughter Laura was scheduled to land at Charles De Gaulle.

Friday, 9-Jan, 2015, 12:27 PM: Laura lands after circling for 25 minutes.

Friday 9-Jan, 2015, 12:30 PM: A third gunman named Amedy Coulibaly has taken a hostage at a Jewish supermarket, takes four more hostages, and kills two. Coulibaly is linked to the killing of the policewoman. Coulibaly tells negotiators that he will kill his remaining hostages if police launch an assault on the Kouachi brothers.

Later Friday, special forces kill the Kouachi brothers and free the hostage. Coulibaly is killed, and four hostages die.
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So is this France's 9/11? No, but the pain was real and the visceral reaction of the French was intense. On Thursday noon, a moment of silence was called by French President Hollande, and everything came to a halt - everything. At 6 PM, the lights of the Eiffel Tower went out for 5 minutes.

On Sunday 11-January, a demonstration in Paris gathered. Although there were 40 heads of state present, they remained silent - no speeches. This was an opportunity for the people to speak out, and they did. Estimates of the number of people gathering in Paris ranged from 1 to 1.5 million. Some said it was the biggest public gathering in France since the liberation of Paris in August 1944. Imagine everyone in Cleveland Ohio AND surrounding Cuyahoga County - everyone - arriving at one location to show their solidarity. The Paris metro was free. All major faiths and numerous nationalities were represented. Police were cheered. There was no violence.