Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë made a renovation of the Place de la République one of his campaign promises in the 2008 campaign for re-election . The project involved the transformation of the square from a " glorified roundabout " into a pedestrian zone , with 70 % of the square 's 3.4 hectares and surroundings roads being reserved for pedestrians . The Paris City Council allocated twelve million euros for renovating the square in 2010 , and the project began the same year . The project was completed in 2013 . The total cost of the project was 20.4 GBP , about 5 million GBP over budget . The renovation was a finalist for the European Prize for Urban Public Space . The pedestrian area now occupies " some two hectares in the sunniest part on the north-eastern side " while the " other third , to be used by vehicular traffic , is the shadier part on the south-western side . " The statue of Marianne was cleaned of graffiti and footprints as part of the renovations . After terrorist attacks against France in January 2015 , crowds gathered in the square to mourn and express solidarity against the threat of Islamic extremism . The French Interior Ministry estimated that as many as 1.6 million people participated , making it the largest demonstration in modern French history . Crowds again rallied on the Place de la République following the November 2015 Paris attacks
terrorist attacks against France in January 2015
January 2015 Île-de-France attacks
Place de la République