“La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem, was originally sung by the Revolutionary Army as it marched forth to defend “la république” against European monarchies who wished to quash the revolution as soon as it began. It’s a song of war, calling Frenchmen to take up arms against “foreign cohorts” who would “strike down” France’s “proud warriors.” The politics have changed, but France is now once again under attack.

This week was supposed to be the beginning of a slow return to normalcy. After voting to extend its state of emergency three times, the French Parliament had opted to let the extreme actions, dubbed Operation Sentinel, lapse at the conclusion of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament and the Tour de France.