Place du 8 Février 1962

This square stands at the intersection of the Rue de Charonne and the Boulevard Voltaire. It serves as a public memorial to a violent event that occurred right at the entrance of the nearby Charonne metro station during the final months of the Algerian War. On February 8, 1962, a massive demonstration against the far-right paramilitary group known as the OAS was met with severe police suppression. Thousands of protesters had gathered to oppose the ongoing conflict and the violence orchestrated by those fighting to keep Algeria under French control. As police charged the crowd, many demonstrators fled toward the station, where they were trapped in the stairwell. Nine people lost their lives in the resulting crush, including a sixteen-year-old boy. These victims became known as the martyrs of Charonne, and their deaths left a permanent mark on the political consciousness of the city.