10 years ago, twelve people, including five cartoonists, were killed during an Islamist attack targeting the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo in Paris. This act caused a wave of emotion and numerous demonstrations across the country. A decade later, is the weekly still popular and does it bring the French together? Example in Besançon (Doubs).
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On January 7, 2015, the editorial staff of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo was targeted by a terrorist attack. Twelve people are killed, including two police officers. Several cartoonists lost their lives like Honoré, Cabu, Charb, Tignous and Wolinski. Other attacks will follow, such as a police officer killed in Montrouge, and the hostage-taking at Hyper Casher on January 9, which cost the lives of four people.
These attacks provoked an unprecedented wave of support across France, united around “the Charlie spirit“. Demonstrations were organized in a multitude of cities on January 10 and 11, 2015. After these terrorist attacks, subscriptions flooded into Charlie Hebdo reaching 240,000 subscribers. The issue following the attacks was distributed to 8 million exemplary, according to AFP.
Ten years later, at the dawn of the sad anniversary of the attacks, sales are not at the same scale in tobacconists. A special 32-page issue was published for the occasion, with a drawing by Riss on a yellow background. “There are two, three people who took it this morning“, says a tobacconist in downtown Besançon. Sales of the weekly remain timid, “These are regulars who come to buy it“, around ten per week on average.
Same observation a few meters away, in a second tobacco shop. No sales of Charlie Hebdo in the morning. The regulars of the weekly are only a handful, the tobacconist only sells around ten copies per week. Charlie Hebdo today has 30,000 subscribers and sells around 20,000 copies on newsstands, according to AFP.
These two establishments have chosen not to put the front page of Charlie Hebdo on their windows. “We have a big poster, but we don't put it forward, I wouldn't take the risk“, confides an establishment manager in the city center. The second press store claims not to put any newspaper headlines in their window.
The situation is slightly different at the Maison du Livre et de la Presse, main street. A book on Charlie Hebdo released during the end-of-year holidays is clearly present in the window. The attacks did not influence the presence of the weekly in the business, assures an employee. “We always sell around twenty“, she explains. “People have not forgotten Charlie Hebdo“, she specifies. In addition to the regulars, a new clientele is offering the commemorative edition. “For the special issue, people are there“, specifies the store manager.
A statement that is verified as we wander through the streets of Bisontine. “It's unreal, it's like it was yesterday. I remember where I was when I found out“, explains a tobacconist manager. Some had even participated in the big demonstration in the streets of Besançon like Frédéric. He treasures issues of Charlie Hebdo from the 90s. “I'm open, I'll buy some on principle. It's important to me psychologically. But I feel like we're censoring ourselves today“, he laments.
Frank was also in the street in 2015, to support the Charlie spirit. This history teacher remembers the square of September 8, full of people. “It had a big impact on us. It was impressive, the number of people, but also the atmosphere, there was a lot of seriousness on the faces, a feeling of national harmony, shock and awareness“, recalls Frank Monneur, high school history teacher.
A decade later, the situation seems different. “I think these days the memories come flooding back. Overall, I feel like people have forgotten. Does the Charlie spirit still exist? For part of the population, yes, but not for all“, adds the teacher.
Among his colleagues, the professor also noticed self-censorship on certain subjects. He himself takes more time to clearly define the words used in his lessons.
Terror has gained ground from the moment there is a sort of self-censorship, which means that we have lost some freedom of expression.
Frank Monneur, high school history teacher
A tribute to the victims of the attacks will be paid on Tuesday January 7 at 12:15 p.m. on the Esplanade des Droits de l'Homme in Besançon. “Because we are still Charliewe must, tirelessly, continue the fight for tolerance, peace and freedom“, specifies the town hall of Besançon, in a message posted on social networks.
Citizens are invited to come and leave a symbolic object such as a text, a flower, a pencil, etc.
