A visit to Paris one year after devastating terror attacks
MALCOLM BRABANT:
After a year of silence, the Bataclan is about to be revived as a concert hall for the living, no longer just a shrine to contemplate the unspeakable.
One year after Friday the 13th, France remains under a state of emergency. The powers were expanded and extended after the horrific attack in Nice, when a terrorist took a truck and mowed down people, killing 86 and wounding nearly 500.
France's interior minister says the country cannot live in an indefinite state of emergency. And groups like Human Rights Watch have warned that the continued use of the powers erodes the rule of law and undermines the rights of citizens.
The Eiffel Tower and other landmarks may radiate an abiding allure, but terrorism has cast a permanent shadow on the City of Light. It's no longer possible to take a leisurely stroll beneath the steel latticework without first undergoing security screening.
The impression that this is a country on a war footing with an invisible enemy is reinforced by military patrols.
Colombe Brossel, the deputy mayor, with responsibility for security issues, says the authorities are trying to strike a balance.
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