The commemoration of the appeal of June 18, 1940, took place yesterday at Place du Général de Gaulle, in the late afternoon.
Around the statue of the General and the French flags, the famous radio message was broadcast. The prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, Adolphe Colrat, then read a message from the Secretary of State paying tribute to Charles de Gaulle, the resistance fighters, and also to the Allies who landed on the French coasts on June 6, 1944.
Éric Ciotti then spoke to also pay tribute to the initiator of the French Resistance. The president of the General Council described De Gaulle as the “founder of Free France”. In his speech, he did not forget to celebrate the memory of the 1,036 members of the Free French Forces, as well as Jean Moulin.
Then Christian Estrosi, the deputy mayor of the City of Nice, delivered a similar speech. He explained that the ideas of General de Gaulle were “stronger than anything,” and that they were the foundation of a “France that wanted to be reborn”. The mayor of Nice then honored the memory of René Cassin, of Niçoise origin, before emphasizing the importance of remembering General de Gaulle and the Resistance for future generations. The ceremony concluded with a few people in the audience singing La Marseillaise, along with the laying of wreaths at the foot of the statue of the first president of the Fifth Republic.
