France pays tribute to Nice attack victims

  • 8 years ago
Three months after a man rammed a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day, French President Francois Hollande has led tributes to the victims of the Nice attacks.

Saturday’s ceremony took place on a hill overlooking the Promenade des Anglais, the scene of the massacre.

A white rose was placed for each of the 86 victims at a specially built memorial.

The ceremony was attended by survivors, victims’ families and French political leaders from the government and opposition.

“I salute, with emotion, the families who were hit by this, struck in their hearts and who suffer. The victims of this barbaric act did not share the same background, the same history, the same skin colour. They didn’t share the same religion, but they were brought together here today by this tragedy,’‘ President Hollande said.

Tunisian-born Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a 19-ton truck along the beach front, mowing down people who had gathered to watch the fireworks on France’s national day, before police shot him dead.

A total of 19 nationalities were killed in Nice on July 14, including more than a dozen children. The youngest victim was 2 years-old, while the oldest was 92.

More than 400 others were also injured in the attack.

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