TO Paris tens of thousands of people took part in a massive procession against the Rassemblement National (RN) Of Marine Le Pen, a party credited as a possible winner of the next French elections. The demonstration was called by trade unions and various associations, including SOS Racisme, the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme and the student unions Fage and Unef. The demonstrators who participated in the event would be 75 thousand for the Parisian prefecture, approximately 250 thousand for the organizers. Similar protests have also taken place in the rest of the country – and will be held throughout the weekend.
The anti-Le Pen march: what happened in Paris
Starting after 2pm from Place de la Republique, the river march marched through Paris against theextreme right of the National Rassemblement. “We ask that this mobilization be extended to the whole France“, declared the event organizers last Tuesday, taking note of the “unprecedented result“obtained by the RN in the European elections and fearing to see”access power“Marine Le Pen’s party after the dissolution of the National Assembly.
Today’s event, among other things, coincided with the birth of Nouveau Front populaire, the coalition of French left parties created to stop the advance of the RN in the next legislative elections. The procession moved from Place de la Republique towards Place de la Bastille and then concluded the route in mid-afternoon at the Nation. Authorities expected 350,000 people to participate across France and 50,000 to 100,000 in Paris. The secret services feared the infiltration of criminal fringes extreme left and for this they were mobilized 21 thousand agents of police.
Since yesterday evening, thousands of people have been marching in various cities and, in Lyon, they have been there episodes of violence which resulted in four injuries, including three police officers. Around 200 demonstrations are planned over the weekend starting in Bayonne, Toulon or Valenciennes and ending tomorrow in Lyon.
Mobilization throughout France
The trade union confederation CGT he made it known that I am 640 thousand the French took to the streets throughout France, with 250 thousand in Paris alone. Paris police counted 75,000 protesters in the capital, where four people were arrested. In addition to the Paris demonstration, there were 145 anti-RN demonstrations across the country. The most significant actions in the provinces took place in Marseille, where 12,000 people gathered, followed by Nantes with 8,500 demonstrators, Rennes (8,000), Grenoble (6,900) and Toulouse (5,000).
In mass mobilisations, the French media write, such numbers in Paris had not been reached since the demonstrations against the pension reform. The call for unity was taken up by almost all the parties that oppose the RN. In fact, the main leaders of the New Popular Front were present: Marine Tondelier And Yannick Jadot for EELV, Olivier Faure (PS), Mathilde Panot (LFI) and even the mayor of Marseille Benoit Payan.
Before marching from the Place de la République towards the Nation, the aforementioned leaders recalled the importance of the upcoming elections and the possibility of seeing “the far right (…) win in France for the first time since Vichy regime“.
They also called for a strong stand from the public. Numerous banners and placards were displayed in the procession to support the New Popular Front and attack the RN. The budget, at the moment, speaks of seven people arrested.
