This weekly photo challenge is on the theme of “Victory.”
The events of Friday evening culminating in the cold blooded murder of 129 people and countless injuries were perpetrated by a group of terrorists affiliated to ISIS, they also killed 43 people in Beirut and another 80 in Baghdad. Many of the killings in Paris were in outdoor restaurants – this is where the events of Friday come home to me most chillingly.
Given the events of recent days in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad and probably other unreported places I thought I’d post these pictures from an earlier time in Paris – a beautiful city, in honour of those who died who called this place they called home and others who died there and elsewhere.
Just over 1o years ago in October 2005, I spent a day in Paris with my parents and my own young family. It was a great day – visiting the Pompidou Centre, Notre Dame, taking a boat along the Seine and climbing the Eiffel Tower. It’s the sort of thing that I am sure many will have done last Friday.
We ended that day sitting outside in the warm Autumn air at an outside restaurant.
I imagine that Parisians are both shocked and scared and that those bars and restaurants will be much emptier this weekend. My sympathies are with all those affected by these atrocities. I don’t blame people for staying indoors and keeping a low profile. Terrorists terrorise and they have achieved one of their aims.
I wonder how long before people return to the street cafes again?
If they do then they have declared victory over terror.
If they don’t then terror will have won the victory.
I hope that that will never happen.
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