France Re-Enacts November 13 Attacks as Prevention

• By Sydny Shepard
• Mar 18, 2016

French lawmakers leading an investigation into the deadly Nov. 13 attacks in Paris and some first responders at the Bataclan concert that night staged a re-enactment of the horror that left 130 people dead across the city.

On the other side of the country, law enforcement officials bracing for this summer’s European soccer championship were training with a fake explosion reminiscent of the suicide attacks on the French national stadium that night.

The exercises aim to prevent future attacks and shed light on what happened when three gunman opened fire during a jam-packed rock concert and three suicide bombers attacked the Germany-France soccer match.

The metal gate of the Bataclan, which has been closed and locked to all but forensic teams and judicial investigators since the attacks, opened briefly to allow about two dozen people inside before shutting once more behind them.

It was here where the officials, lawmakers, first responders and police will ask questions about the chronological order of the events in hopes of finding out how to further prevent them, or act faster in such a tragic event. They went through the known facts, findings and timelines while filling in the missing pieces from the scenes around them. Those in attendance were able to see how authorities responded and what they could have done to infiltrate the scene earlier, saving more lives.

Many of the same where doing the exact same thing at the stadium, hoping to pass their notes to the officials in charge of security during the European soccer championship, a tournament of 51 matches and nearly 7 million fans. 

“For us,” Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. “means 100 percent precaution.”