back to frozen photos of the night of the November 13, 2015 attack

On 13 November 2015, at 21:36, François Hollande was informed of the first terrorist attack while attending the France–Germany match at the Stade de France. A few meters away, the Élysée’s official photographer conjured up the image that has become emblematic. Ten years later, Marie Etchegoyen and the former president return to a frozen moment in history.

Friday November 13, 21:36. At a security post adjacent to the stands of the Stade de France, François Hollande, then President of the Republic, put a telephone to his ear. Next to it, a digital clock shows the time. Behind the glass we can see the pitch, the fans who came to cheer for France against Germany. At first glance, there was nothing to suggest the tragedy was unfolding, except perhaps two explosions that occurred minutes earlier, signs of a suicide bomber attack outside the stadium.

This photo was taken by Marie Etchegoyen, the official photographer of the Élysée. Since April 2015, he has followed the president on his travels and meetings. That evening, he hoped for a tension-free evening. “It was quite a fun trip, he said. We are there to compete, in a light atmosphere.” Then his explosion broke the commotion.

At that time, I thought it was a big firecracker. I knew something had happened, but I didn’t know to what extent.

Marie Etchegoyen

Official photographer of the Élysée in 2015

He walks away, with a wide frame: the president, the telephone, the clock. “I just wanted to show where he was, what he was doing. The importance of that photo, I understood later.”

At this time, François Hollande learned that an attack had occurred near the Stade de France, and another attack had been reported in Paris. He understands “that there was a much larger operation going on.” “The person who called me was Manuel Valls. He and I understand that we are facing a very serious terrorist act, with very serious consequences for our country.” he explained, ten years later.

This cliché later became a symbol of France’s moment of change. The President’s face, clearly shocked, marked the start of the evening of November 13th.

A few seconds after the photo, François Hollande left the security post to join the presidential procession. It’s too early to gauge what happened. Fragmented information.

We don’t know how many terrorists there are around the stadium, or maybe inside the stadium. Fortunately, this will not happen.

François Hollande

President of the Republic from 2012 to 2017

At 21:16, the first suicide bomber blew himself up near gate D of the Stade de France. At 21.20, the second, at door H. The third, a few moments later. The crowd heard an explosion, but the match continued. François Hollande then decided not to immediately evacuate the stands, to avoid panic.

Meanwhile, in Paris, a series of coordinated attacks took place on the terraces of the 10th and 11th arrondissements: Carillon, Petit Cambodge, Bonne Bière, Casa Nostra, Belle Équipe. Between 9:25 p.m. and 9:41 p.m., dozens dead, hundreds injured. Then, three armed men entered the Bataclan hall, where the Eagles of Death Metal concert was taking place. They shot into the crowd and took hostages. At 12:18, elite troops ended the hostage situation. 130 people died, more than 400 were injured.

At 23:53, François Hollande addressed the French from the Élysée. He talks about a “war action”, declared a state of emergency and declared border closures. But at that time, the night was not over. “When this first photo was taken, we were just at the beginning of the tragedy. said Francois Hollande. We haven’t had the scary results we were going to get all night, after the massacre on the terraces and then at the Bataclan.”

Ten years later, Marie Etchegoyen remembers this suspended moment. “I was lucky to be spared. I wasn’t on the front of the news channels, I didn’t have this image stream.”

At that time, I didn’t understand that I was taking historical photos.

Marie Etchegoyen

Official photographer of the Élysée in 2015

He would then follow the president late into the night: to the Ministry of the Interior, then to the Élysée to attend the emergency Council of Ministers, before the Bataclan in the morning. But the photo is no longer his. “It’s in the National Archives.” he said simply.

I can’t go to the Stade de France without thinking about that night.

François Hollande

President of the Republic from 2012 to 2017

François Hollande never forgot that night. “Every time I pass by the terraces or the Bataclan, I feel the same emotions.” This also evokes a feeling of seesawing: “We went from a friendly atmosphere, to calm in the game, to a state of complete awe.”

The former President of the Republic spoke about lessons learned and collective memory. “It is very important for French society to remember this tragedy, and for the younger generation to know what happenedhe said.
We will experience another trial. What makes us strong is the ability of the French people to unite and provide an appropriate response, within a democratic framework.”

This photo captures the moment. It has been published hundreds of times, often without captions, but remains a symbol: a country struck by disaster, which must react without flinching. “I was 34 years old, the age of the victims. It was terrible, confides Marie Etchegoyen. “I understood then, when I saw the wounded, what I had photographed without realizing it.”

Ten years later, the photo still has the same power. A frozen moment, at 21.36, where France unwittingly entered another era.