‘I’m really lucky to be honest’: We spoke to a Nottingham student in Paris

A Notts third year spending a semester in Paris came dangerously close to going out to the site of one of last night’s shootings, and has described the confusion and uncertainty that now surrounds the city.

Politics student Alice, who is studying at Sciences Po, told the Tab: “I’m really lucky to be honest, any other Friday night and I would have been there already.

The usually busy Parisian streets are quiet and empty

“We’ve been advised to stay indoors, and the French media is being vague as to why that is, they haven’t specified whether all those involved have been caught.

“Now there’s just this kind of scaremongering and uncertainty.

“We’re still at bit confused ourselves, nobody knows whether its safe or not.”

Alice regularly attends Le Comptoir General bar, which is just a three minute walk away from Le Petit Cambodge restaurant and Le Carillon bar, where at least 12 people were killed in gun attacks.

She said: “I was about to head out to the bar a street away from the restaurant, the site of the first attack, when it started to happen.

People are afraid to leave their homes

“The 10th district is a cool area, really popular with students.

“I’m there most Friday nights and was weighing up whether to go or not when it started to happen.

“I have so many friends that live close by, so it was just a stressful few hours trying to contact everyone.

“I’m just really lucky not to have been too effected by it to be honest.”

Alice, who will return to Nottingham in January, first found out about the horrendous attacks from her worried Mum.

She said: “Weirdly it was my Mum back at home who first told me, she FaceTimed to check I was alright.

“I had no idea what she was talking about, that’s when I turned on the TV and the BBC were quick to report it.

“I live in Saint Germain, on the left bank, so it should be quite touristy on the weekends but it is pretty empty.

“I’ve had emails from different lecturers asking us to report in and let them know we’re safe.”

Alice hopes things will get back to normal soon, and hopes that the authorities will provide more information to worried Parisians.

She said: “Unfortunately events like this can happen in any major city now.

“I would never have left the threat of that affect my decision to study here, it would be like not getting on the tube again post 7/7.

“I’m certainly aware I need to be cautious, but ultimately you can’t overthink it, or none of us would go anywhere.

“Now it’s just a bit of a waiting game, nobody is sure whether we’re supposed to stay indoors, whether it has been resolved, it’s not great.”