By now, you have surely heard the news that
a string of terrorist attacks have broken out across Paris.
There are reports of a series of explosions at the Stade de France, where the French national soccer team was playing Germany in front of French president Francois Hollande, and reports of up to 40 dead and many more taken hostage at a theater where a metal concert was underway.
In the literal middle of all of this are 6,000 Airbnb hosts and many San Francisco-based Airbnb staffers, who are in the literal middle of the company's annual Open conference.
SF Weekly has heard from one San Francisco-based Airbnb employee, who says that that fete is, so far, all OK and is on lockdown.
Here is what we know so far.
Explosions outside the Stade de France.
A hostage situation, shootings, and many dead at the Bataclan theater. There are dozens of dead, according to multiple reports, and an ongoing hostage situation
at a sold-out show of the band Eagles of Death. Here is a Periscope feed.
Meanwhile,
Airbnb's Open conference is at the Parc de la Villette, in the northeast corner of the city center, just about exactly in between the stadium and the theater.
Here is a very rough map our shaky hand put together in 30 seconds. The stadium is the star to the north, and the theater is the star to the south.
click to enlarge
The conference is around the area of the rough blue X in the middle.
SF Weekly heard from David Owen, Airbnb's regional head of public policy. He says he's on lockdown "a few blocks away" from the madness, but safe and sound — as are most Open attendees, we hope.
We will update if we hear more that pertains to the situations of Airbnb and San Franciscans in Paris. Until then we will be, as many of you, glued to the news.
