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Pain, forced normalcy on French Riviera
NICE: Pain and grief was pervasive across the sylvan Promenade des Anglais as French authorities completed a cleaning operation after the Bastille Day truck attack
NICE: Pain and grief was pervasive across the sylvan Promenade des Anglais as French authorities completed a cleaning operation after the Bastille Day truck attack that left 84 people dead, with many more battling for life in local hospitals.
Tourists and residents flocked to two venues near the scene of Thursday’s massacre, which became the focus of collective pain and grief. A French flag was placed amid a sea of bouquets, candles and moving messages placed by the young and the old.
Felix, a student from Boston, said he had decided not to cut short his holiday: “They can’t stop us from having the kind of life we are used to. We will complete our stay to respond to the errorists.”
Some like Jean from the village of Gattieres stood alone, watching people pay their respects in silence. Six children from her village, 25 km from Nice, died when a Tunisian-orgin man drove a 19-tonne truck nearly two kilometres through revellers. The location of the tragedy was cordoned off but was due to be reopened on Saturday. Tourists in the rest of the promenade resumed sun bathing and water sports, while there were fewer people at the Nice Cote d’Azur international airport’s departure terminal, unlike on Friday morning, when holiday-makers left in droves.
Amid mournful silence on the promenade, authorities warned against rumours that spread on social media about hostages and another attack in Cannes. One post, strongly denied by officials, showed an image of smoke around the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
An official website said: “Be responsible! Share only official and reliable information: Avoid spreading rumours! The spreading of false information can threaten the smooth deployment of rescue teams and put you and your relatives at additional risk.
