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Setting the scene
Charlie Hebdo was a French satirical weekly known for aggressive cartoons targeting politicians, religions, and social taboos. It had previously published caricatures of Muhammad, drawing threats and a 2011 firebombing. France's strong tradition of laicite, or secular republicanism, made the magazine a flashpoint in arguments over free expression, blasphemy, racism, Islamophobia, and the limits of satire.
What happened
On January 7, 2015, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi attacked Charlie Hebdo's Paris office during an editorial meeting, killing 12 people, including cartoonists Cabu, Wolinski, Charb, and Tignous. The attackers fled, and related violence over the next two days included the killing of a police officer and a hostage crisis at the Hypercacher kosher supermarket. The Kouachi brothers were killed by police on January 9.
Why it still matters
The attack produced massive demonstrations under the slogan 'Je suis Charlie' and intensified European debates over terrorism, free speech, integration, antisemitism, and surveillance. It also became part of a broader wave of jihadist violence in France in 2015. Memorable detail: Charlie Hebdo's next issue printed millions of copies instead of its usual small circulation, with a cover showing Muhammad holding a 'Je suis Charlie' sign.
Background
The Charlie Hebdo shooting was a January 2015 terrorist attack on the Paris offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.