Emmanuel Macron awards Legion of Honor to police officers who intervened at the Bataclan during the November 13 attacks - franceinfo

Publié le 21/04/2026 13:15

Temps de lecture : 2min – vidéo : 30min

«Aujourd’hui, nous rendons hommage aux partisans de la vie», a lancé le chef de l’Etat face aux 61 récipiendaires, accueillis à l’Elysée.

«Hommage aux partisans de la vie.» Emmanuel Macron a remis mardi 21 avril à l’Elysée les insignes de la Légion d’honneur à 59 membres des forces de l’ordre intervenus au Bataclan lors des attentats du 13-Novembre 2015 ainsi qu’à deux représentants des victimes des attaques. «Cette nuit-là, dans l’obscurité absolue, quelque chose de plus fort que la peur s’est levé pendant que la terreur frappait : des femmes et des hommes ont fait le choix d’agir, de sauver, de protéger», a salué le chef de l’Etat.

Parmi les 61 récipiendaires, accueillis sous les applaudissements et la musique Shooting Stars chantée en novembre par des rescapés et familles de victimes du 13-Novembre, se trouvent des policiers de la Préfecture de police, de la Brigade de recherche et d’intervention (BRI) du Raid et de la Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris qui ont donné l’assaut au Bataclan. S’y trouvent aussi deux présidents d’associations de victimes, Life for Paris et 13onze15.

«Aujourd’hui, nous rendons hommage aux partisans de la vie. (…) Chacun, à sa place, a contribué à ce que la France ne vacille pas, à ce que la France tienne. Et la France a tenu droite et digne», a déclaré le chef de l’Etat avant de décorer les premiers récipiendaires, attribuant notamment trois grades d’officier et un grade de commandeur, le plus haut de l’ordre de la Légion d’honneur.

Le président a ensuite été rejoint, pour remettre les décorations suivantes, par le Premier ministre Sébastien Lecornu, le ministre de l’Intérieur Laurent Nuñez et celui de la Justice Gérald Darmanin ainsi que par des responsables politiques en fonction au moment des attentats. The former president François Hollande, former Prime Ministers Manuel Valls and Bernard Cazeneuve, who were at Beauvau during the attacks, as well as former mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and former prefect of police of Paris Michel Cadot, were present.

Several police officers from the «BAC de nuit» of Paris, the first to enter the besieged Bataclan that night and who have since considered themselves as «forgotten», were not among those decorated. «They must be fully recognized, as I requested from the Minister of the Interior this fall, and I know they are working on it. I hope this will be done within the year,» said Emmanuel Macron.

«Today, we pay tribute to the advocates of life,» said the President to the 61 recipients, welcomed at the Elysée.

«Homage to the advocates of life.» Emmanuel Macron awarded the Legion of Honour to 59 members of the security forces who intervened at the Bataclan during the November 13, 2015 attacks, as well as to two representatives of the victims of the attacks. «That night, in absolute darkness, something stronger than fear rose while terror struck: women and men made the choice to act, to save, to protect,» praised the President.

Among the 61 recipients, welcomed with applause and the song «Shooting Stars» sung in November by survivors and families of the November 13 attacks, are police officers from the Prefecture of Police, the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) of the Raid, and the Paris Fire Brigade who stormed the Bataclan. Also present are two presidents of victims’ associations, Life for Paris and 13onze15.

«Today, we pay tribute to the advocates of life. (…) Each, in their place, contributed to ensuring that France did not falter, that France held firm. And France stood tall and dignified,» declared the President before decorating the first recipients, awarding three officer ranks and one commander rank, the highest in the Legion of Honour.

The President was then joined by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, and political leaders who were in office at the time of the attacks to present the remaining decorations. The former president François Hollande, former Prime Ministers Manuel Valls and Bernard Cazeneuve, who was at Beauvau during the attacks, as well as former mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and former prefect of police of Paris Michel Cadot, were present.