French politicians including Prime Minister Manuel Valls were booed as they observed a minute's silence in memory of the Nice attack victims on Monday (July 18).

Opposition politicians have denounced security failings at the Bastille Day fireworks where 84 people were killed by a Tunisian man driving a delivery van though the crowd, though the government has repeatedly defended its record.

In spite of the state of emergency in place throughout France, many in the crowd said there were not enough policemen on duty to secure the Promenade des Anglais on the night of the attack.

"It was partly the government's fault because there wasn't enough security. Nobody is happy, the people of Nice are not happy," Nice resident Raymonde Femenia told Reuters TV.

"The government promises us things but nothing sticks, nothing sticks, and we'll never be free of this. I think they haven't got the right answer. What have they done up until now to make us feel safe?" Antony Fernandez agreed.

The minute's silence was observed metres from where Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel's van shuddered to a halt punctured with bullet holes.

The short ceremony ended in the crowd singing the French national anthem and a spontaneous round of applause for emergency service workers.

"They're (the emergency services) the ones who deserve applause. They did what they could, they helped people straight away. I'd have liked the politicians to have the decency when the bodies were still on the Promenade not to start saying it's so-and-so's fault," Stephane Bebert said.

British actress and Nice resident Celia Imrie was among those who observed the silence and she also praised the firemen.

"They are courageous and they love life and they're not going to be stamped on by these cruel bastards," she said.