Paris celebrated the 80th anniversary of its liberation from German occupation during World War II with a series of tributes and events on Sunday. The commemoration included military parades, ceremonial flag hoisting at the Eiffel Tower, and various other activities honoring the city’s liberation.
Under German control for 1,500 days, Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944, when the 2nd French Armoured Division, led by General Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque, entered the city after a week of uprisings and street battles by French Resistance fighters.
The day’s events featured a parade retracing the French division’s route into Paris, showcasing vintage military vehicles and attended by surviving veterans. President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo led the ceremony, which also included American actress Jodie Foster among the notable guests.
In his speech, Macron highlighted the unity of the French people, stating, “Beyond all divisions and contradictions, to be French is to be together—free and determined to achieve even more.” The commemoration also featured the lighting of the Paris Paralympic torch, marking the countdown to the Paralympic Games, and a flyover by the Patrouille de France, the French air force’s elite aerobatic team.
Earlier in the day, a French flag was raised at the Eiffel Tower, reflecting the historic moment 80 years ago when Parisian firefighters replaced the Nazi flag with the tricolor. The week’s celebrations, which mirrored the seven days of conflict leading to Paris’s liberation, included a tribute to “La Nueve,” a unit of Spanish republicans who were among the first to enter the city, and an evening of music and dance at Paris City Hall.
