Following the terror attack in Manchester that left 22 dead and 60 injured, the mayor of Cannes David Lisnard issued the formal statement.
“An abject terrorist act has struck again last night in Manchester. My heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims’ families, deceased or injured. I extend Cannes and all of the residents of Cannes’ solidarity to all our bereaved British friends.
“We do give our complete support, both companionate and combative, to all British nationals, either living all year long in Cannes or visiting during the Film Festival.
“And everyone can be certain that our involvement is unprecedented and limitless against the terrorist risk and the evil religious fundamentalism.
“The Islamic terrorist threat is at the highest and we stay in permanent tension to prevent it and protect everyone from this menace, residents or festival participants.
Our battle is first to protect everyone. But it is as well to defend our values. And we should not surrender to anything that makes who we are.
With this spirit, the Cannes Festival carries for the past 70 years the universal message of culture, in a spirit of openness, of sharing, and of emancipating.
“This is the message that we have to carry without weakness, without deference, without fear. The message of all men living up to a momentum of life
“This is the message of Democrats and of the civilization.
“Our duty is to strongly claim it against the obscurantism, also religiously fundamentalist and deadly.”
The Festival de Cannes invites all festival-goers to show their solidarity with victims, their families, and the British people by observing a minute’s silence on Tuesday 23rd may at 3pm.
Our condolences to the families of all victims.
Ikon London Magazine editorial team.