Thousands in France march in pre-election protest against far-right
- Police said 350,000 people were expected to march after unions, student groups and rights groups called for rallies to oppose the anti-immigration, Eurosceptic party
Demonstrations were under way in Paris and cities across France on Saturday to protest against the far-right National Rally (RN) ahead of upcoming elections to the French parliament.
Following the RN’s surge in last Sunday’s European elections, police said 350,000 people were expected to march and 21,000 officers had been mobilised after labour unions, student groups and rights groups called for rallies to oppose the anti-immigration, Eurosceptic party.
At least 150 marches were expected in cities including Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon and Lille.
In Paris, where up to 100,000 people were expected to turn out, a march set off at 1200 GMT from Place de La Republique, in the east, going through the Bastille square to Nation.
Speaking at Place de La Republique, hard-left CGT union leader Sophie Binet told reporters: “We are marching because we are extremely worried that (the RN’s head) Jordan Bardella could become the next prime minister … we want to prevent this disaster.”
Carol-Ann Juste, a 22 year-old student taking part in the Paris march, said it was the first time she had taken part in a protest. She said she was “worried because people believe the lies of this party that has a truly racist heritage”, a reference to the National Front, a forerunner to the RN, whose leader Jean-Marie Le Pen was fined for remarks seen as anti-semitic or xenophobic.