MOSCOW, July 15 /TASS/. Dozens of young activists from Russian public organizations have placed flowers at the French embassy in France in memory of the victims of Thursday terror rampage in the French resort town of Nice.
"I have come here to lay flowers because today is a day of mourning for me. I also think that we should join our efforts to fight terrorists all together," a Muscovite called Dmitry told TASS. "I have been to France several times. Though I have never been to Nice, my friends have told me that it is a wonderful city with nice people," Dmitry said.
Yevgeniya from Khimki, a town near Moscow, noted that she had come to the embassy to express solidarity with France to which she had never been before. "I want to express my condolences to the families of the dead and support the victims. I wish they understood that if anything happens, we, Russia, will always stand by their side and if anything happens, they will always be able to turn to us for help," Yevgeniya added.
Russian students sang La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, outside the embassy building in solidarity with the victims of the terror attack in Nice.
"We hope that our modest step will bring humanity closer to peace and unity and will help us to live without wars and terrorism," a representative of a volunteer movement who studies French said. After that, he repeated those words in French.
Four people unwrapped a Russian national flag outside the entrance to the French embassy and read the first verse of the French national anthem.
Russians have been bringing flowers to the embassy since early this morning. Anyone can sign a Condolence Book with entries in French and Russian saying: "Stop Terrorism!", "Long Live to France".
The French embassy has thanked Muscovites for placing flowers and candles at its building to pay homage to the victims of the recent terror rampage in Nice, the embassy wrote on its official page in Twitter.
"Thank you for your support. It has touched us profoundly in our hearts," the embassy source said.
Muscovites and out-of-town visitors have been bringing roses, carnations and other flowers to the French embassy since early this morning. Several candles are burning outside the embassy building. Some have brought toys in memory of the children who died in the terror attack.
On the evening of July 14, thousands of visitors had been returning from a festive firework display for Bastille Day on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, when a truck rammed into the crowd at full speed.
According to the latest reports, 84 people were killed and about 70 were injured. Police shot the truck driver dead.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, one Russian woman was killed and another one was injured. The diplomats are also trying to establish the whereabouts of another three Russian nationals.