French Presidents new and old gather in the South of France to commemorate the truck attack that killed 86 people.
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Presidents past and present were in attendance at Bastille Day celebrations in Nice a year to the day after the devastating truck attack that killed more than 80 people.
Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and Emmanuel Macron were joined by Prince Albert of Monaco to commemorate the evening’s tragic events.
Hommage aux victimes du #nice14juillet
In memory of the #nice14july#Nice06 #niceville #cotedazurVilledeNice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NissaLaBella?src=hash">#NissaLaBella</a> <a href="https://t.co/i7oBPpX7SG">pic.twitter.com/i7oBPpX7SG</a></p>— endriumili (mlntndr) July 14, 2017
Nice mayor Christian Estrosi presented the prestigious Legion of Honour medal to the so called ‘scooter hero’ Franck Terrier, who bravely jumped off his scooter and tried to enter the truck as it was plowing through crowds.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “The 14th of July 1789 was a day of fighting for freedom in France. But little by little over the years, it has become a day for partying and we have almost forgotten the reason for this fight. The attack on the 14th of July 2016 brutally reminded us of the price of our freedom.”
86 people, including 10 children, were killed and hundreds injured when Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel plowed a 19-tonne cargo truck into Bastille Day crowds on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
The attack was claimed by ISIL, who said that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, who was shot dead during an exchange of gunfire with police, had heeded the militant group’s call to arms.
The attack was part of a wave of jihadist-inspired murders across France that prompted the then president Francois Hollande to implement and maintain a state of national emergency.