From January 7 to 11, 2015, the attack against the authors of cartoons published for several years in the newspaper Charlie Hebdo took an international dimension.
While the trial to judge the culprits is still underway, it is necessary to understand the trauma caused by this attack. You will find here not only the course of the attacks of Charlie Hebdo, and a brief summary to understand the general issue, but also and especially a precise and detailed account of the impact on the French population. It is thus certainly a question of representing the event faithfully, but probably even more of reliving the national and worldwide shock of this attack, i.e. in consideration of the popular emotion aroused.
Short summary of the attacks of January 7, 8 and 9, 2015
january 7, 2015: Attack against Charlie Hebdo
Two men enter the premises of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, where they kill 12 people and seriously injure others. They are two brothers, the Kouachi brothers, who decided to avenge the Prophet Muhammad. The most famous cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, who died in the attack, regularly published caricatures of Islam and Mohammed.
January 8, 2015: Tracking and Shooting in Montrouge
The two Kouachi brothers are sought by all police forces. In the south of Paris, a man kills a policewoman. It will later be learned that this man, Amedy Coulibaly, had consulted with the Kouachi brothers before committing his crime.
January 9, 2015: Hostage Taking and Denouement
The two Kouachi brothers took refuge in a print shop in Dammartin-en-Goële. When they come out in the afternoon to attack the police and die as martyrs, they are shot dead.
Amedy Coulibaly, perhaps with an accomplice, took hostage the customers of a kosher supermarket. The police attacked immediately after the death of the Kouachi brothers. The death toll was several: the victims of the hostage-taking and Amedy Coulibaly.
The three men were from the same jihadist network and knew each other.
The total number of deaths during these three days includes 17 victims and the 3 attackers.
Summary of the main facts and the attack, on the morning of January 7, 2015,
Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, was attacked on this January 7, 2015, around 11:30 a.m. At least 12 dead, including 2 police officers and 4 injured in absolute emergency and were counted in the first moments.
Thevigipirate alert has been raised in France to the level of “alert attack” in the Ile de France, the highest level. It is, of course, the freedom of the press that is also attacked in this attack.
The two men were heavily armed shotgun and Kalashnikov.
The premises of Charlie Hebdo were, however, already protected.
Several terrorist attacks have been foiled in recent weeks.
François Hollande spoke of a “terrorist attack” in France of “exceptional barbarity”: “in these moments, we must also stand together. Show that we are a united country (…) We are of an extremely difficult moment (…) We are threatened because we are a country of freedom.”
David Cameron condemned an outrageous attack.
Nicolas Sarkozy will speak at the headquarters of his party UMP at 14:30 and is expected to call for national unity.
The White House condemned the attack, “in the strongest terms”.
Vladimir Putin denounced terrorism.
Places of worship, department stores, media outlets and transportation have been placed under surveillance.
Charlie Hebdo:
Charlie Hebdo was founded in 1970. Its average circulation of 45,000 (2012 figures) is largely amplified by the regular scandals caused by Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons, especially on the front page of the magazine, on religious and political topics.
Daily Mail Front Page on January 7, 2015, Charlie Hebdo
The unfolding of news about the attack during the day on January 7, 2015,
1:29 p.m.: In a video witness, the two terrorists after killing a police officer reportedly said, “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad.” The two men fired at least eight shots at the downed police officer.
In a second video, one terrorist shouted, “Allahu akbar.” The video, which shows the two men fleeing by getting into a black car, was released.
When they are seen getting back into the car, they have just shot a police officer. They must have returned to the car, they get out with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The policeman collapses on the sidewalk.
The two terrorists preparing to kill the policeman in front of Charlie Hebdo.
1:38 p.m.: The White House officially condemned the attack.
13:40: It is learned that Stéphane Charbonnier (Charb), Jean Cabut (Cuba), Wolinski, and Tignous are dead.
See a video put online by France TV Info
Charb in this week’s Charlie Hebdo. pic.twitter.com/jb2rcR5W8H – Alexandre Hervaud (@AlexHervaud) January 7, 2015,
Video of Hollande’s speech after the attack on Charlie Hebdo:
François Hollande: “this is an attack … by lemondefr
2p.m.: A crisis meeting takes place at the Elysée Palace
2:38 p.m.: A rally in support of the victims of Charlie Hebdo is planned in Paris at 6 p.m. at the Place de la République, see the Facebook event. At this time, already 3,000 people have registered.
14h39: Rallies are also planned in the provinces, 18h place de la République in Lille, 18h in front of the Club de la Presse in Montpellier, in
14h45: Nicolas Sarkozy said: ‘the journalists and the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo have been targeted. This is a direct, savage attack on one of our most cherished republican principles, freedom of expression. My first thoughts are with the victims of this attack (…) the culprits must be prosecuted and punished (…) absolute firmness is the only possible response. (…) France has been struck at the heart, the Republic must come together, I call on all French people to refuse the temptation to confuse the two’ (…) The government must take strong measures against terrorism (…) and our political party will unreservedly support the government’s initiatives”
The front page of the German newspaper Zeit after the attack against Charlie Hebdo
15:30: According to Bernard Cazeneuve, the criminals were three. “All the resources of the Ministry of the Interior and Justice are mobilized, so that the investigation is deployed quickly.”
15:46: The Economist Bernard Maris was among the victims.
16h58: Flags at half-mast on the Elysee, the National Assembly and the Senate. Hundreds of gatherings are planned. Claude Bartolone and the presidents of all political groups called for “national unity”.
Between anger and tributes on the evening of the attack against Charlie Hebdo, January 7, 2015,
6 p.m.: Queen Elizabeth II expressed her condolences to François Hollande after the attack on Charlie Hebdo
6:17 p.m.: Anne Hidalgo will make Charlie Hebdo an “honorary citizen” of the city of Paris
This image, “Je suis Charlie”, made by an internet user, has spread through social networks and in all media. A lot of French internet users have published this image, especially on facebook or twitter, as a profile picture or as a simple share. All the television channels, continuous news like iTélé or BFMTV, or the generalist channels, TF1, France Télévisions, Canal+, have taken up this slogan “Je suis Charlie”, symbol of unity and support after the terrorist attack.
7:12 p.m.: the crowd amasses at Place de la République in Paris: 15,000 demonstrators counted. 35,000 demonstrators in Paris at 8:30 p.m. Throughout France, 100,000 demonstrators.
19:22: “We are all French,” says Matteo Renzi at the embassy in Rome
7:42 p.m.: The Pope denounced “a horrible attack”
8:02 p.m.: François Hollande’s speech live on television (4min 30):
“I want to say here in your name all our gratitude to the families, to the tried and tested, to the wounded, to the loved ones, to all those who are today bruised in their flesh by this cowardly murder. They are heroes today and that is why tomorrow will be a day of national mourning. Flags will be flown at half-mast for three days. (…) Today it is the whole Republic that has been attacked. (…) France has received messages of solidarity and fraternity from all over the world. (…) Everything will be done to apprehend them. Today, the investigation is under the authority of justice. (…) Security forces will be deployed wherever there may be the beginning of a threat. (…) Nothing can divide us, nothing must oppose us, nothing can separate us. (…) The gathering of all in all its forms is what must be our response. (…) Nothing will be able to make us weaken of the determination which is ours. Long live the Republic, and long live France!”
8:10 p.m.: Google adds a black ribbon on its homepage in man after the terrorist attack 
8:58 p.m.: Plantu, a famous French cartoonist, said, “Those who are gone are immense cartoonists, murdered by barbarians.”
The hunt for the terrorists responsible for the attack on Charlie Hebdo
21:05: Three men, including two brothers. They are French. One of the tree is known by the intelligence services.
9:06 p.m.: Le Point reveals information on those who would be the suspects: two Franco-Algerians, aged 32 and 34, from Pantin in France, who returned from Syria this summer. One of the two suspects was tried in 2008 in connection with the dismantling of the Iraqi network known as the “19th arrondissement” of Paris. The third man is believed to be a homeless man.
21:10: In a telephone conversation, Obama spoke of “the full support of the United States to France, its solidarity and its full cooperation against terrorism”
21h11: The Church of Notre-Dame-de-Paris will ring the bell on Thursday at noon, to mark a time of recollection in the face of the violence of this terrorist attack on January 7, 2015.
10:00 p.m.: RTL changed its logo to black color, in tribute to the victims of the Charlie Hebdo shooting: 
22h45:
The front page of the newspaper Libération of January 8, 2015,
which headlines “We are all Charlie.”
The front page of the Figaro newspaper of January 8, 2015,
which exceptionally displays a black logo in tribute after the attack against Charlie Hebdo.
23h00: Saïd Kaouchi’s identity card: the card reveals that Saïd Kaouchi was born in the 10th district of Paris, he was also 1m68 tall at the time of the creation of the card.
ID card of Said Kaouchi, suspected of committing the terrorist act against Charlie Hebdo
Cherif Kaouchi was a pizza delivery man when he was stopped by the police, who suspected that Cherif Kaouchi was going to join the jihad.
23:01: According to Le Point, the three suspects have been identified and located. The Raid is preparing to intervene. The suspects have been located in Reims, in the Red Cross District. It is the identity card abandoned in the C3 car of the criminals that led to this track.
The two suspect brothers are called The 3rd man is said to be a homeless man of 18 years old, and is called Hamyd Mourad.
23:20: “Or, warned by the police and social networks, they are gone, or it will Rafael,” warns an officer of the Raid about the suspects.
11:30 p.m.: The two brothers are believed to have been part of one of the first jihadist networks in France in the early 2000s.
23:34: According to Le Point: “.
23:50: Police operation underway
Police operation in progress in Reims – 23h50, January 7, 2015
12:11 a.m.: Law enforcement is in place in Reims and standing by.
Devices of the forces of order equipped with rifle in Reims in the sensitive district of the Red Cross.
Small groups of 10 members are waiting in front of the buildings.
2h: The interventions did not lead to any arrest.
2:20: The youngest of the three suspects. Some of his classmates testified that they had seen him in class, Mourad Hamyd, remains in custody.
2:30 a.m.: The police issued a call for witnesses on the two suspected Kouachi brothers
Photos of the two suspects from the call for witnesses set up by the police
3h30:
5:20 a.m.: Today, Thursday, January 8, 2015, the day has been declared a day of national mourning by François Hollande; these indications have been published in the Journal Officiel. A Republican March is planned for Sunday.
9:00 a.m.: Police have taken several people into custody overnight says Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
10a.m.: One person arrested in the south of Paris after shots were fired at Porte de Châtillon.
11a.m.: The policewoman targeted by the shooting in the south of Paris is dead.
11:20 a.m.: According to Le Parisien, two suspects who could be Cherif and Said Kouachi were located this morning in the Aisne, near Villers-Cotteret, on the RN2. The individuals reportedly matched the description of the two suspects on the run and were reportedly in a white Clio. They were wearing balaclavas. Long guns were visible in the back of the vehicle. On Twitter, a concentration of gendarmerie forces near Vauciennes was mentioned, where the road was closed to traffic.
11:30 a.m.: A gas station was robbed by the two suspects. It is the manager who formally recognized them. The suspects are on their way to Seine-et-Marne. The license plate does not correspond to the vehicle used. The police had to equip themselves with assault rifles and protection.
11:40 a.m.: Music radio stations will play Imagine by the Beatles at noon.
12p.m.: A minute of silence was observed in many places in France
12:08 p.m.: Charlie Hebdo will be released on Thursday with contributions from many cartoonists from around the world.
10p.m.: 9 people are in custody, says Bernard Cazeneuve.
Friday, January 9, 2015:2 hostage taking and 1 denouement – the summary
9a.m.: Gunfire breaks out in Dammartin-en-Goële on the National 2
9:40 a.m.: The Minister of the Interior confirms the operation in progress in Dammartin
9:50 a.m.: An employee is held hostage in the artisanal zone of Dammartin-en-Goële, more precisely in the printing shop named Création Tendance Découverte
10:40 a.m.: The Kouachi brothers are said to be responsible for the hostage taking.
10:44 a.m.: Manuel Valls, Prime Minister, made the following statement: ‘We are in a war against terrorism. We are not in a war against a religion, against a civilization.’
11:00: Negotiations are underway with the brothers, but they say they have nothing to lose, as confirmed by the local deputy, Yves Albarello (UMP): ‘The two fugitives said they wanted to die as martyrs.’
11:11 a.m.: Marine Le Pen, who was received by François Hollande, spoke about the exam questions that were discussed. Regarding the controversy over the presence of the FN at the rally on Sunday, where the FN had obviously not been invited, Marine Le Pen added: ‘I will not force the police cordons … to be completely honest, the President of the Republic has indicated that my security would be ensured. I thank him for that, but I am not going to force the cordons of the organizers to try to get into a demonstration where, obviously, the main organizers do not want to see us.’
11:15 a.m.: According to Le Point, the Montrouge shooter was indeed linked to the Kouachi brothers. They know each other and are from the same jihadist network of Buttes-Chaumont, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.
11:19 a.m.: François Hollande said that” all citizens can come” to the march that will take place on Sunday, in reference to the controversy triggered because the National Front had not been invited to this march, as Marine Le Pen was offended.
11:40: The testimony of the man who was robbed on rue de Meaux in Paris, talking about those who took his car: “very, very calm, very determined, very composed, very professional, commandos! He never raised his voice, they never ran, they never seemed excited. They were not sweating. None of that. Just people in operation, who looked like they were in operation. As they were leaving, they said to me, ‘If you ever address … well, if the media asks you, you will say,’This is al-Qaeda in Yemen.’
12p.m.: Police operation underway in Dammartin-en-Goële
Police operation in Dammartin-en-Goële where the Kouachi brothers’ hostage taking is taking place
12:04 p.m.: A man, claiming to be one of the two hostage takers, reportedly made contact with BFMTV midmorning.
13:00: Since yesterday, a group of hackers claiming to be Anonymous has warned that there would be reprisals to avenge the victims of the attack on Charlie Hebdo. They have published a YouTube video available below:
1:01 p.m.: A man armed with a Kalashnikov burst into a kosher grocery store located at Porte de Vincennes. Several shots were heard making one injured according to Agence France-Presse.
14:05: The man who took hostages in the kosher supermarket at Porte de Vincennes is Amedy Coulibaly, the suspect in the Montrouge shooting. He belongs, like Cherif Kouachi, to the ‘Buttes-Chaumont network’.
2:18 p.m.: The AFP announces at least 2 dead in the hostage taking of the supermarket at Porte de Vincennes.
14h20: A call for witnesses is launched, on 2 new persons likely to be armed and dangerous.
Hayat Boumeddiene (her companion), Amedy Coulibaly, wanted by the police.
2:21 p.m. Two women, two men and a baby are believed to be inside the kosher supermarket where the hostage-taking is taking place.
14h22: The assailants are said to be 2. One would have given himself up, according to a local contacted by Le Monde.
15h10: The Place of Trocadero, in Paris, is evacuated, the metro station closed.
15h20: The Raid arrives at the Porte de Vincennes.
3:30 p.m.: The Place of Trocadero reopened, the metro reopened. Contradictory information on the announced victims: La Prefecture denies that there were deaths, another source indicates to Le Monde at least two victims.
16:09: French police escort children from the school near the hostage situation in Dammartin-en-Goole, to evacuate them.
CNN’s front page on French police escorting the children.
17h00:
AFP photo, Joel Saget – The assault in Dammartin-en-Goële against the two Kouachi brothers.
17h13. The assault is given at Porte de Vincennes: heavy gunfire. The men of the Raid shout: ‘On the ground! On the ground!’
17h15. Raid policemen are injured. Ten hostages have been freed.”They got him!“shouted some policemen. In the assault.
Video of the assault that ended the hostage situation at a kosher store on January 9, 2015.
5:36 p.m.: A response team was airlifted to the roof of the print shop.
5:38 p.m.: A surprise: the “hostage” of Dammartin was not a hostage. The 26-year-old man had in fact been hiding since the beginning in one of the rooms of the company, under a sink of the printing house: a piece of furniture of “70 centimeters on 90, with 50 centimeters of depth”, without being able to move: “If one makes a movement, on a side the door opens, on the other side, that knocks in the wall.” He was unharmed. The Kouachi brothers would not have spotted his presence during the siege of the printing house. In fact, he was informing the police in great detail about the situation at the site.
6p.m.: porte de Vincennes: the hostage taking in a kosher convenience store at Porte de Vincennes left 5 dead, Amedy Coulibaly and 4 hostages.
6:05 p.m.: The President of the Republic must speak live from the Elysee before 8 p.m.
18h07. Porte de Vincennes: Four seriously injured “in absolute emergency” following the hostage crisis, in addition to the dead.
Police officers in front of the kosher store where the hostage taking of Amedy Coulibaly took place, Porte de Vincennes,
this Friday, January 9, 2015.
6:30 p.m.: Manuel Valls, Prime Minister, will be on the TF1 8 p.m. news tonight.
6:43 p.m.: David Cameron, head of government in the United Kingdom, will be present on Sunday march in Paris.
18:53: The Head of the Italian Council, Matteo Renzi, will also be present at the march in Paris.
18h59: “Paris is Charlie” is displayed at the top of the Arc de Triomphe
7:00 p.m.: porte de Vincennes: the police were able to hear Amedi Coulibaly for 2 minutes thanks to a phone that he would have hung up badly, according to information from BFM-TV. He was beginning to say his prayers during this listening of the phone badly hung up. BFM TV did not reveal this earlier. Moreover, at 3p.m., Amedi called BFM TV: Amedi Coulibaly claims to be a member of the Islamic State, he has instructions from the caliphate, according to him. He establishes a link with the Kouachi brothers. They are linked to the brothers. They have synchronized to attack. According to Amedi Coulibaly, they are then no longer in contact, they had only gotten along before their attacks. He did this “to defend oppressed Muslims”. Why this kosher store? Because he was targeting Jews.
19:20: They contacted the media to try to publicize it. They called BFM TV to get their message across. A consultation took place within BFMTV, a statement to the investigators. BFMTV decided not to enter into this game, and to divulge this information only after the end of the assaults.
19h25: The men had prepared their attacks, and had consulted before.
7:26 p.m.: Coulibaly’s girlfriend, Hayat Boumeddiene, is still being sought. She is said to have escaped during the assault and during the evacuation of the hostages.
7:30 p.m.: Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi claimed to have been sent by al-Qaeda in Yemen, financed byImam Anwar al-Awlaqi, who has been dead since 2011 by an American drone.
19:33: Angela Merkel will also be present at the March on Sunday in Paris. The Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel, will also be present.
7:50 to 7:57 p.m.: Speech by François Hollande: “France has been attacked three days in a row (…) France has faced up. First, I express my solidarity with the families, the victims, the injured, but France has faced up because when it overcomes an ordeal it is a tragedy for the nation (…) The killers have been put out of action (…) I want to salute the courage, bravery, efficiency of the gendarmes, police officers, all those who participated in these operations. I want to tell them that we are proud, proud of them (…) They did it to save human lives, those of the hostages. (…) But France, even if it is aware that it has faced (…), it is not finished with the threats it is facing. So I want to call for vigilance, unity and mobilization. Vigilance is first and foremost the responsibility of the State to demonstrate (…) I also call on you to show unity (…) this is our best weapon (…) today in this kosher store it is indeed an appalling anti-Semitic act that has been committed. Not to divide us means that we must not make any amalgam (…) These fanatics have nothing to do with the Muslim religion (…) This solidarity we must show all its effectiveness. We are a free people who do not yield to any pressure (…) Many heads of state have wanted to express their solidarity (…) I call on all French people to stand up this Sunday (…) So in this ordeal, I assure you, we will emerge even stronger, long live the Republic, and long live France.”François Hollande will be at the March on Sunday.
20:30: “There will be a before and after,” says Manuel Valls on TF1. “This attack is a wound, but France cannot be afraid.”
See also:
→ 2015 news summary
It would have been important to mention the popular mobilization, unprecedented since the liberation, during the marches of the following weekend. This magnitude and the presence of many foreign heads of state, sometimes adversaries, have marked our society and the whole world, almost as much as the attacks themselves.