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    July 14, 2011

France Celebrates Bastille Day

   VOA News
   French army soldiers open the traditional Bastille Day parade on the
   Champs Elysees in Paris, July 14, 2011
   Photo: AP
   French army soldiers open the traditional Bastille Day parade on the
   Champs Elysees in Paris, July 14, 2011

   France celebrated its Bastille Day holiday on Thursday with a
   traditional military parade along the Champs-Elysees.
   The celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on
   July 14, 1789, which symbolized the birth of modern France.

   This year's parade was dedicated to France's overseas departments,
   territories which are fully-fledged parts of France.
   A military aerobatic display team flew overhead, trailing smoke in the
   French colors of red, white and blue.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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