France celebrates Bastille Day featuring Olympic flame

France celebrated its national day, or Bastille Day, on Sunday with an exceptional military parade on Foch Avenue in an unusual way that precede the Olympic Games. The parade was attend by the French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife and his ministers, and started from the Arc de Triomphe to the Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny Square instead of the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees. About 4,000 people participated in the military parade this year on foot, in addition to 22 helicopters, six light aircraft in the first section, followed by 37 aircraft. The show included references to the major events of 2024 in France, including the 80th anniversary of the liberation from "Nazi" occupation and the Olympic and Paralympic Games that the capital will host later this month. Before the end of the show, the attendees witnessed the Olympic flame accompanied by the Knights of the Cadre Noir de Saumur down the presidential stand. The Olympic flame will tour the capital Paris for two days, where the relay will begin after the celebratory procession on July 14 and end at the Place de la Republique on Monday evening with a free concert. President Macron expressed in a statement his hope that the parade would remain a "popular festival" and that public spaces would be protected. In terms of security, around 6,200 people were able to attend the open-air celebrations after a pre-registration system, ensuring maximum security and maximum visibility for the audience. Source: Kuwait News Agency