On Applaudit

It has been over three weeks since confinement has started in France. Paris is empty, which never happens.

Paris is a city that always has people strolling around, taking their time on terrasses, or by the River Seine, chilling in the numerous parks, visiting its monuments, shopping, or eating at restaurants.

But right now, it is silent. This has never happened since the dawn of our beloved city.

However, we inhabitants of Paris— of France— we are still here!

We make it heard every day at 8 PM: we come to our windows and cheer for our nurses, doctors, sanitation teams, grocery workers, and everyone still working to bring food and essentials to those in need. We clap, we yell, we play music to show our support for these everyday heroes.

We break the silence for a few minutes every day to say thank you to those that continue to fight for us.

This is a daily moment for us to remember that we are part of a city— of a country— that is showing its true strength by overcoming this unbelievable situation together.

~Audrey Casabielhe, Accent Paris