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Paris bar reopens for business after jihadist attack

Paris bar La Bonne Bière, where five people were killed by jihadist gunmen in the November 13 attacks, reopened its doors to the public on Friday in an emotional step in the city's struggle to regain normality. It's the first of six establishments targeted by a series of coordinated attacks to get back to business.

A server carries a tray with coffee past the terrace of the bar "A la Bonne Biere" in Paris on December 4, 2015, during its reopening.
A server carries a tray with coffee past the terrace of the bar "A la Bonne Biere" in Paris on December 4, 2015, during its reopening. KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
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"We want to erase the stain of this nightmare," bar manager Audrey Bily told reporters on Friday morning. "We've decided to reopen to bring life back into the area."

On Friday 13 November, exactly three weeks ago, terrorist gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs went on a killing spree on the terraces of bars and restaurants across Paris. La Bonne Bière, which straddles the tenth and eleventh arrondissement of Paris, was one of them.

Five people lost their lives when the gunmen opened fire.

Since November 13 the once-bustling terrace and cafe has been laden with candles, flowers and messages of sympathy from well-wishers and tourists.

But on Friday, tables and chairs were put back and police tape removed, and with it the shrine-like atmosphere.

"We want to show that we're stronger than them, so we will overcome this, and we will live again," Aubry said.

The Bataclan concert hall further down the road--where 90 people were killed--remains closed too. The owners have vowed to reopen towards the end of 2016.

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