Relatives reveal their pain as memorial service for Paris attack victims begins
Hundreds of people who lost relatives in the Paris attacks are attending a memorial service in the French capital. Up to 1,000 family members watched solemn scenes at Les Invalides as the names of victims were read out while their faces were beamed on to a giant screen. A minute’s silence followed, broken by the melancholic strains of a solo cellist, playing Bach’s Sarabande. Among those attending were the parents of Briton Nick Alexander, the Eagles of Death Metal merchandising manager, who died in the Bataclan theatre siege. In a statement, Barry and Sheelagh Alexander said: “This is just the beginning of a long road where we will have to get used to the absence of his physical presence around us – a physical presence that we loved so much, that made us laugh, that we loved being with, and always held us close wherever he was.”
We extend our love and condolences to all those who have been affected by this indiscriminate act, and are proud to stand with them in unity at the memorial service on Friday. Our lives are intrinsically linked forever.
Barry and Sheelagh Alexander
In the run up to the commemoration, Mr Hollande has called on French citizens to hang out the Tricolour. "Every French citizen can take part (in the tribute) by taking the opportunity to deck their home with a blue, white and red flag, the colours of France,“ Mr Hollande said. But one family has called for a boycott of the service , angry at what they see as the collective failure of the French government and security services to prevent the attacks. Emma Prevost, who lost her brother Francois-Xavier in the rampage, set out her views in a widely-read Facebook post. She wrote: "So no thank you Mr President, politicians, your tribute we do not want.”
You were partly responsible for what happened to us. It was earlier that there was a need to act. The attacks in January should have been sufficient.
Relative Emma Provost berates Francois Hollande
Europe paris attacks