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A champagne reception that was to be held on Tuesday in Cannes to celebrate Pixar’s Cars 3 has been canceled following the deadly bombing in Manchester Monday night.
The event was to be held in the Carlton Hotel, but a statement from representatives for the Pixar event, issued midday, announced its cancelation.
“In the wake of last night’s tragic attack, and out of respect for the casualties and all of those impacted, we are not moving forward with today’s promotional activities,” it said.
Just after that, the Cannes festival issued its own statement, saying it “would like to express its horror, anger and immense sadness following the attack on the public and the city of Manchester last night.”
It added: “This is yet another attack on culture, youth and joyfulness, on our freedom, generosity and tolerance, all things that the festival and those who make it possible – the artists, professionals and spectators – hold dear. The Festival de Cannes invites all festivalgoers to show their solidarity with the victims, their families and the British people by observing a minute’s silence this Tuesday 23 May at 3 pm.”
According to latest information, 22 people were killed and 59 were injured in Manchester in a suspected suicide-bomb attack during an Ariana Grande concert.
Cannes Mayor David Lisnard also added his thoughts on the Manchester bombing. “An abject terrorist act has struck again last night in Manchester,” he said. “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 compassionate 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.”
He added: “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 on anything that makes who we are.”
Concluded Lisnard: “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.”
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