Paris Terror Attacks: One Tense, Mournful Week in Photos

2 minute read

French photographer Julien Pebrel has been covering for TIME the aftermath of the deadly Paris attacks, which claimed the lives of 17 people — including eight journalists at the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper.

“The mood in Paris last week was difficult to describe,” Pebrel tells TIME. “There was sadness, surprise. People were just in shock. When I talked to my colleagues and friends, none of them could work these first few days.”

That first evening, Jan. 7, as thousands of people came together at Place de la République in the center of Paris, Pebrel remembers seeing protesters spell out the words “Not Afraid” in signs. “The gathering was beautiful, silent and respectful,” he says. “There were a lot of young people – people who had never read Charlie Hebdo or [its predecessor] Hara Kiri.”

From the attacks, a sense of national unity has formed, says Pebrel. “In the streets, people are nicer, more polite with each other. They smile. There’s a sort of shared compassion—at least, that’s what I’ve seen,” he says. “I know that there’s been a rise in the number of anti-Muslim acts, so I guess some people react differently to these attacks.”

Pebrel senses that Muslims in France are growing wary. On Jan. 13, he visited the Addawa Mosque in Paris, where Cherif Kouachi, one of the two gunmen who attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo, met with a jihadi recruiter for Iraq in 2004. “When one man saw me arrived, he told me: ‘More media, you’re going to say bad things about Islam once again.’ That’s when you realize that there’s a real gap [in our society],” says Pebrel. “We talked. It was friendly, but that’s when you realize that Muslims in France fear they will become scapegoats.”

Julien Pebrel is a French photographer based in Paris and represented by MYOP.

Alice Gabriner, who edited this photo essay, is TIME’s International Photo Editor.

Olivier Laurent is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @olivierclaurent

More than a million people marched in Paris - and nearly 4 million gathered all over France - in solidarity after the killings that stunned the nation, Jan. 11, 2015.
More than a million people marched in Paris - and nearly 4 million gathered all over France - in solidarity after the killings that stunned the nation, Jan. 11, 2015.Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
France’s largest demonstration since the end of World War II, Parisians of all walks of life marched against terror, Jan. 11, 2015.
France’s largest demonstration since the end of World War II, Parisians of all walks of life marched against terror, Jan. 11, 2015. Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
A memorial site for the 12 victims of the terrorist attacks near the offices of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical weekly publication, Jan. 12, 2015.
A memorial site for the 12 victims of the terrorist attacks near the offices of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical weekly publication, Jan. 12, 2015. Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
Flowers, candles, notes, and “I am Charlie” signs are strewn at an improvised memorial near the Charlie Hebdo offices, Jan. 12, 2015.
Flowers, candles, notes, and “I am Charlie” signs are strewn at an improvised memorial near the Charlie Hebdo offices, Jan. 12, 2015.Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
Police guard the area near the Charlie Hebdo offices, as Paris remains on alert after the killings, Jan. 12, 2015.
Police guard the area near the Charlie Hebdo offices, as Paris remains on alert after the killings, Jan. 12, 2015.Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
Students stand in front of the Yeshiva Yad Mordechai in the Marais, a traditionally Jewish quarter in Paris, Jan. 11, 2015. Rising anti-Semitism has propelled Jews to leave France in record numbers with 7000 emigrating to Israel in 2014.
Students stand in front of the Yeshiva Yad Mordechai in the Marais, a traditionally Jewish quarter in Paris, Jan. 11, 2015. Rising anti-Semitism has propelled Jews to leave France in record numbers with 7000 emigrating to Israel in 2014. Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
Life goes on at this Jewish bakery in the Marais, a traditionally Jewish quarter in Paris, France, Jan. 11, 2015.
Life goes on at this Jewish bakery in the Marais, a traditionally Jewish quarter in Paris, France, Jan. 11, 2015. Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
The Charlie Hebdo attackers, the Kouachi brothers, spent years of their young adult lives in the banlieue, or suburbs, outside Paris, where low income housing projects are populated largely with immigrant populations and youth unemployment rates are rampant, Jan. 13, 2015.
The Charlie Hebdo attackers, the Kouachi brothers, spent years of their young adult lives in the banlieue, or suburbs, outside Paris, where low income housing projects are populated largely with immigrant populations and youth unemployment rates are rampant, Jan. 13, 2015. Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
The Kouachi brothers, the Charlie Hebdo attackers, fell into a life of petty crime before turning to fundamentalist religion. At one time, they attended this mosque in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, Jan.11, 2015.
The Kouachi brothers, the Charlie Hebdo attackers, fell into a life of petty crime before turning to fundamentalist religion. At one time, they attended this mosque in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, Jan.11, 2015.Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME
Men pray at a mosque in the 19th arrondissement in Paris, which the Kouachi brothers, the Charlie Hebdo attackers, had once attended, Jan. 13, 2015.
Men pray at a mosque in the 19th arrondissement in Paris, which the Kouachi brothers, the Charlie Hebdo attackers, had once attended, Jan. 13, 2015. Julien Pebrel—MYOP for TIME

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com