France celebrates the national holiday today. Contrary to what was announced, President Emmanuel Macron will not make any speech to the country, while the usual military parade is being held this morning. The celebrations take place in an armored environment with an "exceptional" safety device to ward off a new wave of violence: 45,000 policemen and gendarmes for a total of 130,000 agents in the field, and 40,000 firefighters.

"We fear nothing, we are only cautious. We want to avoid that urban devastation unfortunately forms part of the traditions" on July 14, commented the prefect of Paris, Laurent Nunez. Almost everywhere in the country buses and trams remain in depots for both festive evenings of 13 and 14 July. In the capital Paris there will be 10,000 agents on the street, where the police have been given "systematic orders to arrest" anyone who wants to spoil the party.

July 14 is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in the revolution of 1789.

After the riots that broke out following the death of the 17-year-old killed by an agent on 27 June in Nanterre, however, the alert remains very high; for this reason the men of the special departments will also be present on the ground.