Obama visits Paris attack site, pays tribute to victims

Published November 30, 2015
US President Barack Obama (R), French President Francois Hollande (C) and Paris Mayor Anne Hildago arrive to pay their respects at the memorial outside the Bataclan. ─ AFP
US President Barack Obama (R), French President Francois Hollande (C) and Paris Mayor Anne Hildago arrive to pay their respects at the memorial outside the Bataclan. ─ AFP
US President Barack Obama (R) pays his respects with French President Francois Hollande (2nd R) at the memorial outside the Bataclan in Paris. ─ AFP
US President Barack Obama (R) pays his respects with French President Francois Hollande (2nd R) at the memorial outside the Bataclan in Paris. ─ AFP

PARIS: President Barack Obama laid a single rose at a memorial for the victims of the Paris attacks on Monday shortly after arriving in the city, visiting the Bataclan, the concert hall where the deadliest attacks took place during the onslaught some two weeks ago.

Obama, who is in town for international talks to curb climate change, was joined at the site by French President Francois Hollande not long after Air Force One touched down around midnight local time.

President Barack Obama, (R), French President Francois Hollande, (2nd R), and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pause for a moment of silence at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks. ─ AP
President Barack Obama, (R), French President Francois Hollande, (2nd R), and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pause for a moment of silence at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks. ─ AP

After solemnly placing the rose among the flowers and candles at the makeshift memorial, Obama stood silently in tribute, his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him.

Afterwards he walked away with his arms around Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was also present.

US President Barack Obama (C) puts his arms around French President Francois Hollande (R) and Paris Mayor Anne Hildago after paying their respects at the memorial outside the Bataclan in Paris. ─ AFP
US President Barack Obama (C) puts his arms around French President Francois Hollande (R) and Paris Mayor Anne Hildago after paying their respects at the memorial outside the Bataclan in Paris. ─ AFP

He did not make remarks.

Obama has made a concerted effort to show U.S. solidarity with France after the Nov. 13 attacks, which killed 130 people. He and Hollande agreed during a meeting in Washington last week to ramp up military operations against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and coordinate intelligence on domestic threats.

By visiting the memorial so soon after his arrival in Paris, Obama signaled the importance he placed on continuing to show support to the people of France.

His motorcade snaked through the city past several of its key landmarks before arriving at the memorial. The surprise nighttime visit did not appear on Obama's public schedule.

Obama is scheduled to stay in Paris until Tuesday for talks to hash out an agreement with world leaders to fight global warming.

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