FRENCH FLAG CHALLENGE!!!
The french flag wasflying "proudly and defiantly" above the Sydney Harbour Bridge as Sydneysiders and tourists held a candlelight vigil in solidarity with the French following the horrific terrorist attack.
A terrorist gunman killed 84 people in the French city of Nice and injured 50 more, three of whom were Australian, after he used a 25-tonne lorry to go on a killing spree.
NSW Premier Mike Baird offered his condolences to the people of France as the flag was raised and took to Twitter on Friday to say:"We stand with you. And our hearts grieve with yours".
The Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival at Circular Quay in Sydney"s CBD also came to a standstill during a vigil that saw Hundreds gather around each other.
Tears flowed as Members of the Australian French community sungthe French national anthem.
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Members of the Australian French community stand around candles during a vigil in central Sydney
The french flag was flying "proudly and defiantly" above the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed three Australians were injured in the Bastille Day terrorist attack (pictured) in Nice
As part of the annual BBR Bastille Day French cultural festival near Circular Quay, a vigil was organised
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said one of the three people injured was a woman but details are not known about the other two.
"They have suffered minor injuries, seeking to flee the scene, to get away from the scene," she said on Friday."We areworking to provide consularassistance to all three.
Ms Bishop said the Australian ambassador had spoken to her about how the attacks had "rocked France to it"s core".
One of the injured Australian women, who was on a Top Deck tour, injured her leg and was taken to the hospital but is in stable condition, according to her friend, Hannah Ellison, 18, who had been travelling with her.
The Bleu Blanc Rouge Festival at Circular Quay in Sydney"s CBD also came to a standstill
Sydneysiders, members of the Australian French community and tourists sung the French national anthem
Candles were positioned in a circle as the public stood in solidarity with the French
Sydneysiders have gathered for a solemn vigil in the wake of a terror attack in France
A terrorist gunman killed 84 people in the French city of Nice and seriously injured 50 more
Hannah, from Tamworth in north-west NSW, was watching the fireworks when she heard people begin to scream, saw the truck heading for the crowd and jumped out of the way, her mother Shirley Ellison told Daily Mail Australia.
Ms Ellison said her daughter and the group of girls she had become friends with on the tour jumped out of the way of the truck "just in time."
"She was crying on the phone, she could see dead people everywhere, all over the road. I think she was still in shock," Ms Ellison said.
"At that point I thought it was just a car accident, I thought maybe the driver had a heart attacked. Itwasn"tuntil later we realised it was a terrorist attack."
NSW Premier Mike Baird offered his condolences to the people of France. He took to twitter offering his condolences
Wrapped in the French flag a moment of silence was held for those who lost their lives
Tears flowed as people set down candles and sung the French national anthem, in the wake of the horrific truck attack
"They have suffered minor injuries, seeking to flee the scene, to get away from the scene," Ms Bishop said on Friday. "We are are working to provide consular assistance to all three"
"We stand with you. And our hearts grieve with yours," saidNSW Premier Mike Baird
Stalls stopped serving customers as the hundreds of people gathered around candles in honor of the victims
Ms Ellison said her daughter has worked part-time at a chemist and saved for two to three years for her trip to Europe.
She travelled to Europe only eight days ago and quickly made friends with a group of girls on a Top Deck Tour, she said.
"You do see the Paris thing last year and it is in the back of your mind but you always think it just wont happen to her.She"s been enjoying it so much before this," Ms Ellison said.
Fellow AustralianBridget De Jong, a 22-year-old from Sydney, was in the same crowd watching the firework show and had to run past dead bodies in the street as she tried to hide in a side street.
The Australian embassy in Paris is urgently trying to find out if how many Australians have been caught up in the Bastille Day terror attack in the French city of Nice.
Anyone who believes they have Australian family and friends in the region are being urged by the Department of Foreign Affairs to contact them directly and Australians in Nice are asked to contact the Australian Embassy so DFAT can estimate how many people are in the country.
A female Australian travelling companion (not pictured) of Hannah Ellison (right), 18, from Tamworth, NSW, was injured during the attack and is in stable condition, her mother Shirley Ellison (left) said
Ms Bishop"s comments come as it was revealed 22 Australian students previously unaccounted forhave been found and are safe, according to web developerRhys Lawry, 23.
"We"re incredibly lucky to be alive," he told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Lawry said he and the group, which he had attended the 32016 European Innovation Academy with, had been celebrating Bastille Day.
"We heard the screams, people screaming and everyone was running in one direction. We thought we"d better start running too and it just got faster and faster and you"ve just got this panic," Mr Lawry said.
"There were just hundreds of people running and it became a massive stampede. The cops were yelling, "Run! Run! Keep going!"
Australia"s Governor General Peter Cosgrove is in Paris and released a statement following the attack.
"We are in shock tonight in Paris as we learn about the tragic events unfolding in Nice. On a day where Australians marched alongside their French counterparts this cruel attack has struck innocents celebrating their national day. Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the government and people of France," he said.
If unable to reach them, Australians should call the 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 or +61 2 6261 3305 if calling from overseas.
Web developer Rhys Lawry, 23, (pictured) was frantically trying to get in touch with a group of 22 students he had is attending an innovation conference with in Nice
Bridget De Jong (pictured), a 22-year-old from Sydney, was watching a Bastille Day celebratory firework show with friends said she saw dead bodies lying on the street as she ran to hide
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3691856/French-flag-flies-proudly-defiantly-Sydney-Harbour-Bridge-hundreds-mourners-pay-tribute-victims-Bastille-Day-terror-attack-Nice.html
