Demonstrations against the far-right National Rally (RN) were taking place in Paris and other towns throughout France ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Following the RN’S victory in last Sunday’s European elections, police estimated 350,000 people were expected to march and 21,000 officers had been mobilised after labor unions, student groups, and rights groups called for protests against the anti-immigrant, Eurosceptic party.
At least 150 marches were planned in towns including as 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.”
In the meantime, after his centrist alliance was humiliated by the RN in last Sunday’s European Parliament vote, President Emmanuel Macron announced the calling of an early legislative election, which will be contested in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.
According to early opinion polls, the RN may be able to win the election and go on to establish the next administration.
According to a poll done for Le Point magazine and released on Friday, RN is expected to receive 29.5% of the votes in the first round of the parliamentary election, just shy of the Popular Front’s 28.5%.
while, Macron’s centrist camp was at 18%.
At least two polls have put the left not far behind the RN and ahead of Macron’s group.
In Tours, western France, where hundreds of protesters were taking part in a march, a banner read: “For liberties, for rights, for a social and democratic republic, against far-right ideas and against racism”.
