PARIS (AP) — In a way, Bastille Day is back.
France marked its national holiday on Wednesday with thousands of soldiers marching through Paris, fighter jets roaring in the skies overhead and traditional parties across the country, after events were scaled back last year due to virus concerns.
Two horses stumbled during a procession down the Champs-Élysées, throwing their uniformed riders off the track, but the day’s main event generally went according to plan, resembling a Bastille Day of old. One soldier used the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend on the cobblestone street, dropping to one knee and kissing her hand.
But the virus was never far away: Small groups of protesters angry about new vaccine rules clashed with police in Paris amid tear gas, while several towns canceled their annual fireworks displays amid fears of a resurgence of infections.
The number of spectators at the Paris parade was limited, with all attendees required to show a special pass proving they had been fully vaccinated, recently recovered from the virus or had a negative virus test. Similar restrictions were imposed on people watching the lavish fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower on Wednesday night.
Spectators from across France flocked to Paris, happy to be able to watch the parade in person, despite frustration at restrictions and long queues for anti-virus checks.
“I came here especially for my son who is marching today,” said Gael Henry, from Normandy. “It’s nice to be outside for a bit, finally get some fresh air and know that everyone is here and that things are slowly returning to normal.”
Masks were common among spectators and were a must-have for dignitaries watching the parade under red, white and blue awnings modelled after the French flag.
The thumping of hundreds of horseshoes echoed with military music as uniformed guards on horseback escorted President Emmanuel Macron to cheers from onlookers as he walked past restaurants, luxury boutiques and cinemas that have been closed for much of the past year and a half.
But not everyone has welcomed his handling of the pandemic. Some cafe owners, hospital staff and parents have rebelled against his decisions this week to make vaccination mandatory for all French health care workers and to issue special COVID passes for people over the age of 12 who go to restaurants.
Meanwhile, many doctors and scientists are calling for stricter measures to contain the virus.
Hundreds of protesters marched through eastern Paris on Wednesday chanting “Freedom! Freedom!”, facing off against riot police who fired tear gas to disperse the advancing crowds. Protesters and police kicked back and forth at tear gas canisters, while cyclists calmly weaved their way through the crowds.
This year’s parade organizers have dubbed it “Optimistic Bastille Day” to “win for the future” and “celebrate a France united under the tricolor to emerge from the pandemic.” A few weeks ago, this optimism was widely felt across France, but with the Delta variant causing a rise in new cases, the national mood has again become gloomy.
Leading the parade were members of European forces battling militants in Mali and the surrounding Sahel region, where President Macron announced last week that France was withdrawing at least 2,000 troops due to growing threats and instead focusing on the multinational Takuba Force.
Among those honoured in the parade were army medics who have transported vaccines to France’s overseas territories, treated patients with the virus and contributed in other ways to the fight against the pandemic.
Mirage and Rafale fighter jets roared past in formation. In the final moments of the parade, two horses stumbled, throwing their Republican Guard riders onto the pavement. Guardsmen quickly regained control of the horses and escorted them away. It is unclear what caused the fall.
Just before the ceremony, a soldier named Maximilian proposed to his girlfriend with the Arc de Triomphe in the background, a beautiful moment that drew thunderous applause.
After the ceremony, Macron and his wife Brigitte spoke at length with families of soldiers killed or wounded in the line of duty. On the eve of the ceremony, Macron renewed his call for greater defense cooperation among European countries and for strengthening the global defense effort against Islamic extremism.
“This moment of conversation and reunion is above all an opportunity for us to address our comrades and their families and to convey a message of gratitude,” Macron said.
Last year’s parade was cancelled and replaced with a quieter ceremony to remember health workers who have died battling COVID-19, with the pandemic having claimed more than 111,000 lives overall in France.
Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in eastern Paris on July 14, 1789, which marks the birth of the French Revolution.
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Patrick Hermansen contributed to this report.
