It seemed like a normal Friday evening. I’d had quite a few lectures that day, and was looking forward to starting my weekend by having some drinks with some friends. We’d decided to go a bar called “Le Perchoir” in the Marais. Frighteningly, as this is a chain, there’s also a Le Perchoir in the 11th Arrondissement in Paris- where some of the terrible events unfolded. We were having a really nice time, admiring the views of the sparkling Eiffel Tower from this rooftop bar- little to know soon the lights would be turned off to mourn the tragic lives lost. At around 10pm, I received a text from my Mum saying that there’d been a shooting in Paris and whether I was okay, and I could also hear lots of sirens. I told my friends, and we quickly decided to leave. We walked back to my friend’s apartment, which was nearby, but also close to the Centre Pompidou. This was a really terrifying walk, as all we could hear were sirens and lots of emergency services going past. Luckily we made it back to my friend’s apartment, and turned on the TV to find out more. It was really scary as they were saying how a gunman had been spotted around the Centre Pompidou – where we had just been walking. It was a very long night, and obviously none of us slept well. In order to get back to my apartment, I had to take the metro this afternoon, and I was very nervous about this.
It’s so horrible, as I was starting to really feel at ease in Paris after spending a few months here, and I’m now feeling really scared. However it makes me feel a bit better seeing people all around the world unite on social media against these terrible events.
My thoughts are with everyone who lost loved ones last night.