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France has honored its healthcare workers at small events to mark the national celebration of Bastille Day, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Authorities canceled the traditional military parade, but instead paid tribute to those who tackle the virus.
Invited audience members included families of French workers who died of Covid-19.
Annual events mark the storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, seen as the beginning of the French Revolution.
It is the first time that officials have suspended the annual military parade through the capital, Paris, since the end of World War II in 1945.
President Emmanuel Macron gave a rare televised interview after the morning ceremonies, in which he answered questions about the coronavirus pandemic and the state of the economy.
How has France been celebrating?
Around 2,000 French soldiers gathered for a ceremony at Place de la Concorde.
It started with a tribute to General Charles de Gaulle, who 80 years ago called on France to resist the German Nazi occupation in a BBC radio address in London.
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Although there was no parade on the Champs Elysées, the troops honored all those mobilized to confront the coronavirus outbreak, including health workers and the armed forces.
The day comes after the French government agreed to wage increases worth € 8 billion (£ 7.2 billion; $ 9 billion) for French health workers.
A traditional air past included military aircraft as well as a transport aircraft used to transport Covid-19 patients at the height of the pandemic in France.
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Military planes flew over Paris to celebrate the occasion
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Reuters
Some 2,000 soldiers participate in the ceremony.
Some 2,500 specially invited audience members, including the families of health workers who died during the pandemic, watched events from socially distanced seats.
Officials from four countries that welcomed French patients were also invited: Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
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The events have been closed to the public, although they were televised. Many areas of Paris have been closed to avoid crowds.
The traditional Eiffel Tower fireworks will take place at 23:00 local time (22:00 BST) as a “symbol of the resilience of our capital and our nation and a tribute to all the everyday heroes who worked during the epidemic, “said a joint press release from city officials.
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Health workers’ demands include better working conditions and more public funding.
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EPA
Riot police used tear gas to disperse protesters
However, there have also been clashes. After the morning ceremony, almost 3,000 health workers and jaunes (yellow vest) anti-government activists staged a protest at Place de la Bastille in Paris.
Long-standing demands of hospital workers include better employment conditions, better wages, increased public funding for health care, and the end of the common practice of keeping healthcare workers on insecure short-term contracts.
According to local media, riot police arrived on the scene at approximately 3:00 p.m. local time and deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd.
What about the coronavirus?
In his televised interview, Macron said he was in favor of making face masks mandatory in closed public spaces to reduce the coronavirus pandemic, adding that such a measure could take effect from August 1.
Masks are required on public transport through France, but are not mandatory in closed public spaces.
For the most part, France has its national outbreak under control, but several public health officials have recently warned of the risks of a second wave, and Macron mentioned during the interview that the outbreak was accelerating somewhat.
He also warned of a massive increase in unemployment, predicting that there could be another 900,000 job seekers by the spring of 2021.
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President Emmanuel Macron, center, gave a rare televised interview after the events.
Macron canceled the annual televised interview tradition the day he took office in 2017. But critics have attacked his handling of the pandemic and his lack of television appearances.
Popular Prime Minister Edouard Philippe resigned earlier this month when Macron reorganized his government in the wake of disappointing local election results.
A court announced an investigation into the French government’s handling of the coronavirus response within hours of its resignation.
France has confirmed more than 200,000 cases and some 30,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
