The Place du 8 Février 1962 is a public square located in the 11th arrondissement of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, specifically in the

Charonne The Charonne quarter is an area of the 20th arrondissement of Paris named after a former municipality in the area, which was merged into the city of Paris in 1860 by Napoleon III and split between Charonne quarter (south part), the Père-Lachais ...

district, at the intersection of the

Rue de Charonne ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bl ...

and the

Boulevard Voltaire Boulevard Voltaire is a well-known boulevard in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. It was created by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann during the reign of French emperor Napoleon III. Originally named Boulevard du Prince-Eugène, it was renamed Boul ...

. The name of the square commemorates the date, 8 February 1962, when the nine "martyrs of Charonne" were killed at the entrance of the nearby

Metro station A metro station or subway station is a station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase tickets, board trains, and evacuate the system in the ...

. The killings happened during the repression of a demonstration against the shadowy Secret Army Organization (OAS) and the Algerian War. According to the historian, Alain Dewerpe whose mother was killed, this event qualifies as a "state-sponsored massacre".

Dedication of the square

The square was dedicated on 8 February 2007 by

Bertrand Delanoë Bertrand Delanoë (; born 30 May 1950) is a French retired politician who served as Mayor of Paris from 2001 to 2014. A member of the Socialist Party (PS), he previously served in the National Assembly from 1981 to 1986 and Senate from 1995 unt ...

, the mayor of Paris, after sprays of flowers were deposited at the foot of a commemorative plaque installed inside the Metro station where the killings occurred. The memorial was sponsored by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) of the RATP (Autonomous Transport Operating Company of Paris).

References

External links

Nomenclature officielle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Place Du 8 Fevrier 1962 8 Fevrier 1962 Buildings and structures in the 11th arrondissement of Paris