© picture alliance / NurPhoto | Adnan Farzat
France is celebrating its national holiday on Tuesday, and on that very day, the French national soccer team is playing Spain in the World Cup semifinal in Dallas, Texas: French law enforcement agencies are on high alert.
It is Tuesday, July 14—Quatorze Juillet for the French, who are celebrating their national holiday. The military parade took place on Tuesday morning; for the occasion, French President Emmanuel Macron had invited his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and numerous other heads of state and government leaders.
On Monday, a meeting had already taken place in Paris among Western allies supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia. Soldiers from those countries also marched in the parade.
Due to the coincidence of the national holiday and the World Cup soccer semifinal between France and Spain, French law enforcement agencies are on high alert. Some 70,000 officers are being deployed across the country to maintain order. After all, the risk of a potential incident is heightened during the traditional July 14 celebrations—which include fireworks, concerts, balls, and the military parade—where Ukrainian forces are also present.
On the French channel BFMTV, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that law enforcement agencies “remain extremely vigilant” and are ready to “immediately put a stop to any form of unrest.”
Photo: © picture alliance / NurPhoto | Adnan Farzat