Elected officials, soldiers, high school students and residents gathered this Friday, May 8 at the Square du 11-Novembre to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the victory of 1945. A ceremony marked by tributes to the resistance and a vibrant call to preserve peace.
“We keep the memory to protect the peace.” At the Square du 11-Novembre, the words of the elected officials of the municipal youth council resonated forcefully this Friday morning, during the commemoration of May 8, 1945 in Nîmes. Around Mayor Vincent Bouget, numerous civil and military authorities took their places in front of the war memorial: the prefect Jérôme Bonet, senator Laurent Burgoa, general Stève Carleton and even Christian Bastid, municipal councilor delegated to Memory, to name just a few. than them.
After the ceremonies organized in Saint-Césaire, Courbessac and Place des Arènes, several texts were read by high school students as well as by young people from the municipal council. Heartbreaking readings, evoking war, exile and resistance.
“Peace remains fragile”
In a free text, Karine and Mohammed, two young elected officials, recalled the importance of passing on memory: “We are the generation that refuses indifference.” A message extended by the reading of the veterans’ manifesto, warning about “the return of nationalism” and the “trivialization of extreme ideas”.
After the laying of wreaths, the Marseillaise and the Song of the Partisans closed this ceremony followed by around a hundred residents. Meanwhile, and until 4 p.m. on the esplanade, the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment offered activities, an exhibition of military vehicles and fun and educational stands around the duty of memory.
