Houston pays tribute to victims of Nice attack
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The attack in Nice put a damper on Bastille Day celebrations everywhere, including the biggest one in the Houston-area.
"Today the French community and the friends of France in Houston get together to party. But I don't feel like partying today," said French Consul General Sujiro Seam.
Seam addressed a few hundred people at the Bastille Day Celebration at the Village School in west Houston. The Village School has students from 50 countries and they speak more than 40 languages throughout the school. It was picked to host this year's Bastille Day celebration.
PHOTOS: Bastille Day attack in Nice, France
In his remarks, Consul General Seam passed along a message from the French ambassador in Washington, D.C.: "He instructed us, out of respect to the victims, not to party tonight. So we will not sing and we will not dance."
The only song on the night's agenda was the French national anthem.
Houston has a special connection to Nice -- the two are sister cities.
Catherine Bedel has friends living there.
"Before, they were in Houston and they left to go back to Nice," Bedel said.
She got on the phone as soon as she saw the news.
"I called them. They were safe. They didn't go to see the fireworks so that was ok," she said.
Houston businessman and philanthropist Tillman Fertita is on a family vacation in France right now, about an hour from Nice. We spoke with him on FaceTime.
"I'm not sitting here scared," he said. "But you definitely are aware that it happened just an hour away and wonder what else is going to happen."
The Head of the Village School, Gabriella Rowe, tells Eyewitness News they're using social media to reach out to their families that they know are in Nice right now.
"We know of at least half a dozen families that are in Nice right now," said Rowe. "Probably more that we don't know about. It is such a tragic way to focus what should have been such a celebratory occasion."
