Private Story
The Fallen
On Bastille Day, 14 July 2016, an Islamic State operative/sympathiser drove a large truck through crowds of men, women, children and babies in prams on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice. There were thousands of people on the promenade and closed off avenue,, dispersing from a fireworks display. The truck driver drove into the crowds of people at full speed, killing 86 people and maiming over 400. He was shot and killed by the police.
We had originally planned to be in Nice that very same week, and if we were, we would surely have joined the crowds at the public fireworks display, at the very section of the promenade where the slaying took place. Instead, we changed our plans a few weeks before and was due to arrive on Saturday 16th instead, 2 days after the massacre. Two months on, I visited the Promenade and discovered thousands of soft toys, teddy bears, flowers, messages, flags, candles, notes and quotes, still remaining on the pavement, as a memorial to the fallen. The bandstand at the Jardin du Paillon was covered with similar messages, toys, flags, decaying flowers and candles.
I took these images with my phone, forgetting to set a higher ISO in the overwhelming rush of the evening.
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