in Arras, the reflection of the inhabitants after the assassination of Dominique Bernard

A Marseillaise resonates on the Place des Héros in Arras (Pas-de-Calais), during the tribute ceremony to Dominique Bernard, Sunday October 15. In the crowd, Jeanne, a student, is still in shock: “We are all stunned that this is happening in our city.she tells franceinfo. What happened is dramatic and I think it is important to pay tribute to those who left and who helped protect the students.“

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Like her, nearly 5,000 people gathered in the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, two days after the assassination of the literature professor by a 20-year-old young man, on file S. “It could have been us“, say two former students, Tom and Laurie. The young woman walks towards the plaque in memory of the victims of terrorism, a rose in her hand, touched by what happened: “It was a teacher who died. This is the second time, unfortunately, that this has happened. It happened not very far from my house. He’s not the teacher I had but it was still important to come and honor his memory.“

“There is no question of letting terror take over,” said the mayor of Arras, Frédéric Leturque.

Three years after the death of Samuel Paty in front of his college in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines), another teacher was the victim of a terrorist attack. For the inhabitants of Arras, we must now come together and be together. “We really see a people who have united. I find it really good“, estimates Mickaël, a student present at the gathering. He continues: “We necessarily have someone more or less close who is linked to this college: neighbors, a nanny. So it’s disturbing.“

“Three years after the assassination of Samuel Paty it is unbearable to have to relive the same fear.”

Catherine Piécuche, academic secretary of FSU Nord-Pas-de-Calais and spokesperson for the teaching inter-union

at franceinfo

Isabelle works opposite the Gambetta school campus, she claims to have “saw the horror in front of the establishment. It’s very important to show that we are a united people and also to show solidarity towards the teachers because if he hadn’t been there, I think the horror would have been worse than that.” “We are all gathered together, united. Standing“, says Frédéric Leturque, the mayor of Arras. The belfry and the bells of the city’s churches rang at the end of the ceremony to pay a final tribute to Dominique Bernard.