Ten years after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, a look back at one of the strong images of the demonstration organized in Paris on January 11, 2015. Thierry Keup, a pastry teacher from Cambrai (North), had embraced a CRS, in a spontaneous outburst. He remembers this moment which went around the world.
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It was 10 years ago. The attacks on Charlie Hebdo, Hyper Cacher and Montreuil. Seventeen people murdered. A terrible shock. The fear of a population. And then, a need to be together, in solidarity. During the great “Republican march” organized on January 11, 2015, in Paris, more than 1.5 million people marched.
And an image will loop, that of a teacher kissing a CRS. Today, it remains a memorable moment for Thierry Keup. He recounts his action.
The image of Thierry Keup falling into the arms of Steeve, the CRS was published by numerous newspapers.
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© FTV
Thierry Keup : I had an essential desire to go to this event. My wife was working and could not accompany me. So I joined my brother-in-law who lived in the Paris region. I launched to my wife, jokingly: “everything will be fine, you will see me on TV !”. However, I had no ulterior motives.
When we arrived, it was really busy. My brother-in-law thought it was a good idea to take the protest in stride. We found ourselves stuck to barriers on rue de Charonne. Then on Boulevard Voltaire, we were blocked in front of the CRS while the demonstration was getting underway, with the parade of heads of state. We were like in a security airlock. It was calm and good-natured. When a CRS convoy passed, it was applauded. It was the first time I demonstrated.
Alongside François Hollande, the mayor of Paris, the president of the European Commission, the Israeli prime minister, the president of Mali, the German chancellor, the president of the European Union and the Palestinian president, January 11, 2015.
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© SERGE TENANI / HANS LUCAS
I don't know why, but I told my brother-in-law: “They're nice, the cops, I'd go and kiss one of them!”. Led by my brother-in-law, people began to chant: “a kiss, a kiss…”
I didn't give up and I went to this CRS. I told him: “Come on, let's kiss, it's a beautiful day.” He seemed reluctant. In fact, it wasn't me who kissed him, I was only the representative of those behind me who wanted to kiss a cop. A France 2 team saw us and joined us. They asked us to redo the scene, in the same spirit. Afterwards, I went back into the crowd and we paraded.
The smile of Thierry Keup and Steeve after the kiss, in Paris, January 11, 2015.
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© FTV
A little later, my woman calls me and tells me : “We saw you on TV, it’s on repeat, every quarter of an hour!“. We returned to my brother-in-law's house and in fact, in the evening, in the credits, in the newspaper, we were seen. The next day, I was contacted by the journalists from Voix du Nord.
-In the establishment in which I worked, in Arras, we even set up a press room, in a classroom ! There were several journalists who came to see me every day : TV, written press, radio. It lasted almost two weeks.
Thierry Keup : I saw Steeve again once, a year after the attacks. He was stationed in the Bois de Boulogne, in Paris, at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. We talked, we didn't know each other. It turns out that Steeve loves baking and I was a pastry chef for a long time before teaching it.
Since then, we've been sending each other little messages, wishing each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We spoke on the phone again recently, it lasted 30 minutes! I tried to invite him over when he was in the area, but we didn't succeed.
Steeve, the CRS and Thierry Keup share a love of baking. They are still in contact.
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© N. Boubetra / X. Roman / FTV
The gesture was really spontaneous, I hadn't thought about it, the symbol is even more beautiful, for me. I took the first one in front of me. He was not just a cop, but a human being! So, talking about it again can only do good. I am proud of what happened, of having reconciled the population and the police, even for a moment.
Thierry Keup : My feeling is shared. I always feel sad. I find it difficult to understand how people can kill for drawings, opinions, bring France to its knees through acts of terrorism, whatever they may be. It remains sad. We didn't get out of it unfortunately, we just saw it in Germany. [NDLR : référence à l’attentat de Magdebourg où un conducteur a foncé en voiture dans la foule du marché de Noël].
Freedom is an important value. My wife would explain to you that I always say: “freedom begins where that of others ends”. We can have humor, we must also know how to laugh at ourselves, it starts with ourselves, if we are not capable of that… I experienced the Coluche era, Hara-Kiri, Icy fluid…
Thierry Keup is now retired, he is still in contact with Steeve, the CRS met on January 11, 2015.
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© X. Roman / FTV
If politicians had learned the lessons of what happened that day, perhaps they would have come together to make France different. If we unite, it’s good, if we divide, it’s not good, concludes Thierry Keup.
This kiss, the singer Renaud made a song of it, soberly entitled “I kissed a cop”. Ten years later, if Charlie's mind is perhaps a little dormant, Thierry Keup, now retired, has gained a wonderful friendship.
