This Wednesday, March 27, at first light, spring is slow to appear in Orléans.
The cloudy sky and the fresh air around the city's new performance hall give no indication of the violence that will fall on this place of festivities... for a hyper-realistic attack exercise.
The CO'Met site, housing the Palais des Congrès, rue du Président Robert Schuman, is hosting a national-level conference, bringing together several international experts symbolizing democratic values and the preservation of individual freedoms.
Among the participants are around a hundred professionals and students.
Four (fake) terrorists burst through the footbridge connecting the P5 car park and headed towards the rear square of the Palais des Congrès.
Screams and explosions ring out, followed by gunshots.
The attackers opened fire with weapons of war, mowing down many people in a hail of bullets.
“Hello, this is the CO'Met Security PC, I note the presence of several armed hooded individuals on the site,” a security agent reports to the police officer via 17.
A few minutes later, the police intervened and were also targeted.
Several officers are injured.
Shortly after, the elite BRI unit arrived on the scene and also came under fire.
The attackers retreat inside the CO'Met.
Some students managed to escape in the confusion, while the police ordered everyone leaving to get on the ground for fear of the terrorists fleeing.
The Orléans University Hospital at the heart of the system
A treatment area for the injured was established near the building, under the stunned gaze of the few onlookers present.
This exercise is taking place in an even more disturbing context, just a few days after the terrorist attack in Moscow.
For security and economic reasons, the city of Orléans was not really cordoned off as in a real attack situation, in order to allow the establishment of corridors for the transport of victims.
In a completely fictitious manner, the victims arrived at the University Hospital Center in the form of “cases”.
The mission of the CHU consists of distributing the injured and managing the influx into services as well as possible staff shortages.
The exercise is expected to end by mid-afternoon.