A military choir sang the Marseillaise national anthem, and troops unfurled an enormous French tricolor flag across the plaza. Mirage and Rafale fighter jets painted the sky with blue-white-and-red smoke, and were joined by helicopters that had transported COVID-19 patients in distress. Families of medical workers who died with the virus also had a place in the stands. Troops sported them as they got in formation, took them off for the ceremony, then put them on again when it was over. Across town from the Place de la Concorde, protesters plan to highlight France’s failures during the pandemic.

Source: Ethiopian News July 14, 2020 09:45 UTC