France celebrates Bastille Day without the traditional military parade

Without the traditional military parade down the famous avenue of the Champs Elysees and public celebration, French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday presided over the Bastille Day ceremony overshadowed by the coronavirus crisis. For this year's celebration, the military parade, which traditionally attracted huge crowds, was cancelled for the first time since 1945 and replaced by a downsized defile in the Place de la Concorde square in central Paris, Xinhua reported. Following a government ban on public gatherings with more than 5,000 people due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 2,500 men and women from France's army, navy and air force — half of the usual number — took part in the ceremony. (IANS)

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