Browsing: Bastille Day

France celebrates its f?te nationale every year with fireworks, concerts and an extravagant military parade down the Champs-?lys?es in the presence of the president, a bevy of politicians and often a foreign head of state as an honoured guest. The July 14 date of the f?te commemorates two important events in French history. FRANCE 24 takes a look at the holiday’s origins and what to expect on the day.

Recent riots have cast a shadow over France’s beloved Bastille Day national holiday, which marks the start of the French revolution, with fireworks displays called off around the country, outraging some conservatives.

The ban won’t be lifted until Saturday 15 July and follows almost a week of nationwide riots sparked by the police shooting of a 17-year-old in Paris