French President Francois Hollande speaks at a ceremony for victims of the Paris terrorist attacks at Les Invalides on November 27, 2015 in Paris, France. | Getty François Hollande: ‘France will remain itself’ French president said nation would work tirelessly to protect its children.

PARIS — Relatives of those killed in the November 13 terror attacks gathered Friday morning with French leaders for a commemorative ceremony at the Hôtel National des Invalides in Paris.

With French flags flying from balconies throughout the capital, the ceremony in an outside courtyard began with music to reflect the shared passion of the mostly young victims, whose names were then read aloud. Their average age was 35.

“Music was insufferable for terrorists," French President François Hollande told the crowd, after Nolwenn Leroy, Camelia Jordana and Yael Naim played Belgian Jacques Brel's song Quand on n'a que l'amour ("When we only have love"), and opera singer Natalie Dessay interpreted Barbara's Perlimpinpin. "We will multiply songs and concerts, we will keep filling stadiums.”

“They represented life, they represented France," Hollande said of the victims. “They came from 50 French towns and 17 foreign countries.… They were children when the Berlin Wall fell. They hadn’t lived 'The End of History.'"

After September 11, 2001, he said, "they knew that the world is threatened by new dangers."

The ceremony marked the first time that civilians have been honored at Les Invalides, a site traditionally reserved to commemorate military deaths. ­­­Some commentators suggested the move reflected Hollande’s declaration that France is now at war ISIL.

Since the attacks, Hollande has been reaching out to the international community for greater support for French airstrikes against ISIL in Syria. In urging British MPs to support joining the fight, British Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons Thursday that the U.K. "should not outsource its security to its allies."

“I solemnly promise that France will do everything to destroy this army of fanatics," Hollande said. "France will work tirelessly to protect its children, and will remain itself — such as the dead loved it.”

Members of all French political parties were present at the memorial, including former French president and Les Républicains leader Nicolas Sarkozy and far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen.

The families of two of the victims did not attend, after criticizing the government for not doing more to keep Paris safe only 10 months after weekly satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a French supermarket were attacked by terrorists.

Vince Chadwick contributed to this report.

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A video (in French) of Hollande's speech is here, from the French president's office.

Discours à l'occasion de l'hommage national aux victimes des attentats du 13 novembre 2015 https://t.co/IJ5sMO8k4t — Élysée (@Elysee) November 27, 2015