"Terrorists have killed and are killing", but "they will never remember the lives cut short."
Faced with the attacks, Emmanuel Macron is determined to praise the country's unity around its victims.
“That is why we will create a memorial museum dedicated to the victims of terrorism.
So that names and faces are never erased, ”explains the Head of State in remarks reported to the Parisian by his entourage.
The place will be open to the public in Paris in 2027. But the first stone will be laid, according to our information, from March 11, 2022, during the French presidency of the European Union.
A few weeks before the presidential election ...
"Faced with those who want to divide us and fight our values, this memorial museum is an act of resistance," said Emmanuel Macron, who chairs this Wednesday the Day in tribute to the victims of terrorism.
An event celebrated in several European countries and whose date refers to the bloody attacks in Madrid of March 11, 2004. For this day, the Head of State urges "not to give in to the bottom of this part of humanity that they want to take us away.
They will never have it ”.
Fifty-year history of terrorism
The future monument will retrace the evolution of terrorism over the past fifty years, in particular its internationalization.
Its reserves will not resemble those of a classic museum: there will be personal objects (sneakers, telephones, cars riddled with impacts) and seals of judged cases.
"There are only four museums of this kind in the world, including one in New York created after September 11", underlines the historian Henry Rousso, in charge of the project.
The establishment's orientation council will be chaired by the prosecutor François Molins, famous face of the events of 2015, and will include among its members the rector of the Paris mosque, Chems-Eddine Hafiz, a representative of "Charlie Hebdo" and François Baroin as President of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF).
On January 9, 2015, the Kouachi brothers took refuge in a printing press in Seine-et-Marne.
LP / Olivier Arandel and Yann Foreix
A few days ago, Emmanuel Macron wrote to embassies, prefectures and the boss of the AMF to encourage them to take initiatives on March 11.
As far as he is concerned, the president has bet on empathy - he will not give a speech, unlike last year.
He will first lay a wreath at the Invalides in the presence of François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Then, he will discuss with representatives of associations.
Afterwards, direction Dammartin-en-Goële (Seine-et-Marne).
Accompanied by his wife, Brigitte, Emmanuel Macron will visit Michel Catalano's printing house.
This is where the hunt for the Kouachi brothers, the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, ended.
"Michel Catalano risked his life," recalls the head of state.
He feared for one of his relatives.
He saw the fruit of a lifetime of work, his printing press, go up in smoke under the fire of bullets.
"
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This hero who had hidden his collaborator Lilian under a sink while the two Islamists were facing the GIGN remains, six years later, traumatized.
“At the restaurant, I stand in front of the door,” he tells our newspaper.
When someone talks to me, I look around to see if there is anything suspicious.
So this visit is recognition on the part of the State.
It helps to continue living a life that will never be the same again.
The entrepreneur testified at the "Charlie Hebdo" trial.
A test for him.
His former employee will not be present for the arrival of the presidential couple.
"It's too hard, he can not return to the scene," says his ex-boss.
At the Elysee Palace, we want to be realistic: the terrorist threat remains "very high" in France, even if it has evolved.
The era of orchestrated attacks from Syria or Iraq seems to be fading away.
The danger emanates more from radicalized people living in our territory.
The executive claims in any case to have foiled 33 attacks since 2017 and highlights the creation of the anti-terrorism prosecution and the judge of compensation for victims of terrorism.
More than 6,000 victims have been supported by the State since 2015, in particular after the Bataclan and the massacre on the promenade des Anglais in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).
A relative of the president sighs: “The health crisis means that the French can sometimes forget the threat, but the beheading of Samuel Paty was just over four months ago.
"
