Sad birthday. Ten years ago, after the attack on Charlie Hebdo, the entire Moselle was in meditation. A look back at several days of tribute.
It was around 11:30 a.m. on January 7, 2015 when the brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi entered the premises of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, armed with rifles. They killed twelve people, including eight members of the editorial staff. Five other people were murdered in the following days (Montrouge and hyper-hidden attacks). It is a France in shock and a bruised press which watches, helplessly, the events before rising with one voice to support freedom of the press. To simply support freedom.
In Metz, 3,000 people gathered the very evening of the attack. Anger, mourning and the desire to shout loudly that the press is free. A few days later, the Moselle capital will see 45,000 people march silently, around 6,000 in Thionville against terror and obscurantism.
“We are all Charlie”
Alone or with family, elected officials, journalists, people passing through… Regardless of the city, religion or origin or profession of the citizens taking to the streets, the testimonies are essentially identical. “ We do not want to politicize this matter. We must stand together in the face of barbarism » chanted one of the demonstrators in Forbach, the evening of the events. “ I am free to think. I can't stand what happened, I couldn't stay home » says this resident of Hagondange among the 45,000 souls who came to Metz to pray.
« We are very moved. These are journalists and police officers who are victims of barbarism. Never since Nazism has there been such a strong attack on freedom of expression in our country. » then mentioned the senator and mayor of Woippy, François Grosdidier. “ This spontaneous gathering is a citizen response to these acts. Citizens who want to show their attachment to the values of the Republic and particularly to this freedom which has been dearly won throughout our History » said Dominique Gros, then Mayor of Metz in 2015.
More unusual image in Sarralbe with a friendly drink shared with the press in particular. « I open this bottle of champagne, so that the iconoclasts live, that freedom and Charlie Hebdo live“, will say Gérard Bergantz, deputy mayor in front of 400 local residents. “ To Charlie Hebdo, to freedom » he then concludes.
Marseillaise intoned, minute of silence. Same pattern at the heart of disputes gatherings across the department. A final call for human rights and freedoms.
« Cartoonists make drawings, that's all. Humor is just humor. If it doesn't make us laugh, we move on and come back the next day. Maybe there's another joke that will make us laugh« .
Archives 2015 – Yan Lindingre – Press cartoonist, editor-in-chief Fluide Glacial
10 years after the attack, Moselle remembers
From the first light of January 7, 2025, reactions followed on social networks and in the press. Starting with the territory's elected officials with a few words posted on X or Facebook so as not to forget that the fight against terrorism is still relevant.
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