Paris, known for its cultural treasures and lively public spaces, is closing all of them as authorities try to secure the city after devastating terror attacks that killed 129 people, with most of the deaths at one of the city's most legendary theaters.
Paris is closing all of its performance spaces, concert halls, theaters, museums, libraries, schools and pools as well as its open-air markets. The city is also closing down all movie theaters. Like the popular Louvre Museum and the Musee D'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower is also off-limits until further notice, authorities said. The city already shut down all of its 245 Metro stations and blocked off many public spaces; demonstrations and rallies are banned until at least Thursday.
Major globally-broadcast concerts in the city, including the Al Gore-backed Live Earth and U2 live in Paris, were also cancelled on Friday and Saturday night.
Dès demain, fermeture de tous les équipements de la Ville: écoles, musées, bibliothèques, gymnases, piscines, marchés alimentaires— Paris (@Paris) November 14, 2015
Toutes les stations de métro fermées à Paris ici: https://t.co/BeJZWy8kyo cc @prefpolice— Paris (@Paris) November 13, 2015
The order for the cultural closures came at the request of the French cabinet, which held an emergency meeting after a series of violent attacks and deaths jolted the country's capital.
In a mark of the scale and shock of the attacks, France's government immediately gave itself new security powers over the region of Paris and its suburbs, known as Ile-de-France, which usually operates with autonomy.
The new government powers give French federal authorities the right to confiscate weapons, conduct random searches and shut down concert halls, all of which are usually relegated to local governments.
1500 French troops are in or on their way to Paris, and police with rifles were patrolling the Trocadero, an esplanade between museums and theaters that provides the view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The move echoed the city's reaction after the January 11 attacks on Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly magazine.
The city went on lockdown after at least 100 people were killed in a siege in one of the city's most popular theaters, the Bataclan.
Paris had already shut down all of its Metro stations earlier in the evening as the city encouraged citizens to go home and stay there on a night of scattered terrorist attacks in 6 different areas of the city. Some tourists used Velib, the city's bike-sharing program, to get around.
After the siege at the Bataclan, President François Hollande -- who had been evacuated from another attack area -- visited the theater while surrounded by a thick formation of officers.
Other culturally important spaces also closed to most foot traffic.
The city also closed off its iconic Place de la Republique, where a statue of Marianne, the symbol of the freedom of the French nation, presides over pedestrians and nearly daily protests and rallies. The area is close to the Bataclan theater.
The Stade de France, a major soccer stadium in the city's suburb of St. Denis, was hit by an explosion earlier in the evening during a France-Germany soccer game when suicide bombers set off their vests outside the stadium, creating an audible boom.
Hollande, who was in attendance, was evacuated from the site and later attended an emergency meeting of his cabinet.
The rest of the crowd was kept inside after the final whistle, and the German soccer team reportedly slept inside the dressing room for the evening. The stadium is expected to be closed as well.
The city's airports, however, remained open - if crowded -- after France backtracked from its promise to "close" borders and instead instituted border checks and heightened inspections.
The closures come after a massacre in one of the city's most popular young neighborhoods, Republique, a multicultural area filling with hot restaurants, live music and hip boutiques where people mingle on streets and at cafes late into the evening.
The Bataclan, in Republique, was the site of a multi-hour siege in which victims were reportedly shot with AK-47s by French-speaking gunmen in track suits, according to a survivor at the scene who spoke to CNN. The gunmen, who were young, were not wearing bulletproof vests or any tactical gear, the witness added. "I could have met him before and never thought he was a terrorist," the witness said of one of the gunmen.
The band Eagles of Death Metal, which had been scheduled to perform at the Bataclan, reportedly escaped offstage as the attacks began.
#paris Bataclan dozens and dozens of empty stretchers being rushed towards scene by running medical staff— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 13, 2015
#Paris Bataclan survivor: "People threw themselves to the ground but the gunmen just started firing at random at the people on the ground"— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis) November 14, 2015
Organizers also canceled a two-day concert backed by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore to raise awareness of the U.N. Paris climate summit. The concert, called "Live Earth: 24 Hours of Reality," was supposed to go from noon Friday Eastern time to noon Saturday. Gore, stationed at the Eiffel Tower, was the MC for the event, which was webcast globally.
Neil Young, Duran Duran and "Take Me to Church" singer Hozier performed earlier in the day. Elton John, Bon Jovi, Pharrell Williams, Mumford & Sons and Florence + The Machine were also part of the lineup.
Thank you @duranduran for performing live in Paris at #24HoursOfReality. You were tremendous! Join us here: https://t.co/OtpaK3PayF— Al Gore (@algore) November 13, 2015
After the attacks, Gore said the event would cease broadcasting out of solidarity with the French people.
Out of solidarity with the French people and the City of Paris, we have decided to suspend our broadcast (1/2) #24HoursofReality— Climate Reality (@ClimateReality) November 13, 2015
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected by today’s events (2/2) #24HoursofReality— Climate Reality (@ClimateReality) November 13, 2015
The artists involved reassured fans of their safety and showed their solidarity with France.
#PRAYFORPARIS https://t.co/WI5TaLYfZy— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) November 14, 2015
Salesforce.com, the backer of a U2 concert that was to be broadcast on HBO, cancelled that concert on Saturday night as well.
Salesforce looking for 62 employees in Paris. Please call GO center. Salesforce sponsored @U2 show cancelled. pic.twitter.com/AX0DfZtXg1— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) November 14, 2015
Parisians awoke Saturday to vigils and memorials around the areas of the attacks, even though many were closed off.
In the Place de la Republique, people still milled about, with artists painted giant letters spelling out the city's motto, "fluctuat nec mergitur," which means "tossed on the waves but never sunk."
#Paris pic.twitter.com/qkoedTq8IM— Jessica Plautz (@jessicaplautz) November 14, 2015
Update: This story is being updated regularly as more information comes in.