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More details have emerged about the situation within the Stade de France in Paris last night as France played host to Germany while terror attacks were occurring around the city. These attacks included the area just outside the stadium, where explosions that were mistaken for fireworks could be heard during the game.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, a guard confirmed that one of the attackers had a ticket to the game and attempted to make it through a security checkpoint with a suicide vest on.
The guard—who asked to be identified only by his first name, Zouheir—said the attacker was discovered wearing an explosives vest when he was frisked at the entrance to the stadium about 15 minutes into the game. France was playing an exhibition against Germany inside.
While attempting to back away from security, Zouheir said, the attacker detonated the vest. Zouheir, who was stationed by the players’ tunnel, said he was briefed on the sequence by the security frisking team at the gate.
A police officer confirmed the sequence, adding that police suspect the attacker aimed to detonate his vest inside the stadium in order to provoke a deadly stampede.
Around three minutes later, a second person also blew himself up outside the stadium. A third suicide attacker detonated explosives at a nearby McDonald’s, police said. One civilian died in the attacks, police said.
Meanwhile, inside the stadium, French President Francois Hollande was escorted to safety as soon as the news broke that the attacks was underway.
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Notified by a phone call within minutes after the first attack at the Le Carillon Cafe and Petit Cambodge restaurant, Hollande left the game, which continued as fans and players were blissfully unaware. Stade de France has a reputation for poor or spotty cellphone service, and word was slow in getting to those who were at the game.
At halftime, French manager Didier Deschamps and German manager Joachim Löw were informed of the situation, and both decided separately that they were going to withhold the information from their players.
After the end of the match, which France won 2-0, both teams were informed of the situation, and announcements were made over the stadium’s public address system for fans to remain inside the stadium – an understandable course of action as determined by French police and security forces, as more than 80,000 fans were in attendance and the situation was still in a high state of flux.
At one point, all in attendance were directed to just two exits, but the bottleneck saw many fans simply decide to remain at the stadium, and most made their way down to the field.
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Meanwhile, the French and German teams remained in the stadium as well, in their dressing rooms. French player Antoine Griezmann was seen tweeting to find out if his sister, who was at the Bataclan concert hall, where a hostage situation was unfolding.
“Thank God my sister was able to exit the Bataclan. All my prayers go to the victims and their families.“
Per the New York Times, family members were brought down to the locker rooms to be with the players as both teams awaited the all-clear to leave.
Typical postgame protocols for the teams were canceled. There were no news conferences or interviews, and the players changed quietly into street clothes and then waited for further instructions. The police informed both teams that it was impossible to guarantee the safety of the team buses, so the players and coaches stayed on the lower level of the stadium, most of them sitting sullenly in front of televisions. Wives and children of some players were allowed into a room nearby to wait as well.
“We are all in shock,” Mr. Löw told the German television station ARD. “All of us on the bench were a bit scared.”
The French team was able to leave by 3 a.m., but because the German bus was easily identifiable and thus a potential target, the Germans did not leave the stadium until 7 a.m. after French security and the French Football Federation was able to procure minivans to transport the players, coaches, and officials.
Following the events, the FFF originally announced that the upcoming friendly between France and England on Tuesday would be cancelled, but they have since reversed the decision, and the game will be played as scheduled.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
The attacks, which have resulted in a death toll of over 120 with many more hospitalized, has sadly put the city of Paris in the spotlight for a terror incident yet again this year, following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January.
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From a sporting standpoint, questions will certainly be raised about France’s preparedness to host the 2016 European Championships, and they are valid questions.
As for the decision to play on, that decision may also be questioned given the gravity of the situation outside the stadium gates. However, it was very likely the right decision at the time. With over 80,000 fans present, there was no need to add them to the equation by attempting a mass evacuation of the stadium.
There was also the uncertainty of the situation to consider, and security forces and law enforcement already had their hands full without even thinking about the tens of thousands more who would have been on the streets if they had emptied the stadium.
Even though there may be some concern now about Paris’ and France’s susceptibility to terror strikes, it is also important to note that the confirmation of a suicide bomber attempting to enter the game has proven that security measures at the stadium did enough to prevent even more bloodshed.