Bastille Day celebration to go on in Boston with stepped up security

BOSTON — Boston Police tightened security measures for a Bastille Day celebration in Back Bay following a terror attack in Nice that killed at least 84 people.

BPD brought in vehicles to block access on Marlborough Street, which had already been shut down in preparation for the festival.

The sidewalks between Berkeley and Clarendon streets were also closed, restricted to residents only, as officers walked the perimeter with bomb-sniffing dogs.

The event promises to bring thousands of Bostonians a taste of France in a celebration of Bastille Day, also known as French Independence Day. The party's expected to block off the street and feature concerts, food and freedom -- an intent the French Cultural Center plans to honor. Given the attack at the Bastille celebration in Nice, organizers are expecting a less than celebratory mood.

"I think it will be sad. I think people will probably be a little bit subdued," said Eileen Smith, who's a member of the French Cultural Center, the organization hosting the party.

Smith said she is glad, however, that organizers chose not to cancel the festival in response to the attack, a sentiment echoed by volunteers who were preparing for the party.

"I know things like this happen, but we have to keep showing that we are strong, beautiful, loving people," volunteer Cate Dill told FOX25.

Security expert Dan Linskey said police will have concentric circles of security around the event, and said officers will look for visual cues in the crowd.

"We want to have visibility so people see police officers, see that there's somebody there in case of an emergency that they can go to," Linskey said.

Cox Media Group