They denounce an extreme right “at the gates of power”. Thousands of people gathered in several cities in France, Monday June 10 evening, after the surge in the polls of the National Rally (RN) in the European elections and the announcement of a dissolution of the National Assembly by Emmanuel Macron.
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Place de la République in Paris, three thousand people according to the police headquarters, including many young people, gathered from 8 p.m., shouting, middle fingers raised: “Youth annoys the National Front” (ancestor party of the RN) or even “Everyone hates Marine Le Pen”.
“The prospect of having a far-right prime minister in three weeks terrifies me,” explains Alice, a 24-year-old student. Alba Bourreau, 19 years old, arts student, participates in her “first political demonstration”after voting on Sunday for the first time, saying “ready to come and demonstrate as much as necessary”.
“We came to mobilize against fascism, and because we are fed up with this image that France votes to the right or the extreme right. The left also exists. She’s in the street tonight.”says Luna, 19 years old.
Manon Aubry presents Place de la République
In the crowd, Palestinian flags mixed with those of the CGT, UNEF and other organizations that had called for the rally. Manon Aubry, head of the France Insoumise list in the European elections, was also present.
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Rare incident to deplore on the scene, a demonstrator fell from the statue overlooking Place de la République and was “taken care of by emergency services in relative emergency”according to a police Source.
As the crowd dispersed on the square shortly after 10 p.m., several thousand demonstrators left in the direction of the headquarters of the Ecologists, where the left-wing parties were gathered with a view to finding an agreement for the legislative elections which will take place in less than three weeks. Along the way, some electoral signs were vandalized and some tags left on the walls: “Neither Macron, nor Bardella” or “Macron-Bardella, same fight”.
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The atmosphere, until then good-natured, became tense shortly before midnight, with the police dissipating the procession with de-encirclement grenades, noted Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“I hope there will be a popular front”
In Toulouse where the mobilization was strong, among the 6,200 people gathered according to the police, Matthieu Chêne, 30 years old. For this protester, it was “essential to come (…) to be on the right side of history”. “I hope there will be a popular front. Roussel, Glucksmann, Mélenchon, everyone must put their ego aside! »he told Agence France-Presse.
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Incidents took place in the Pink City at the end of the demonstration: participants briefly seized work equipment, broke windows and burned trash cans. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, noted an AFP photographer who witnessed two arrests.
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In Marseille, France’s second city, which placed the RN list at the top during the European elections on Sunday, several thousand people – 2,200 according to the police – gathered at the call of several unions, left-wing or of the Human Rights League before the regional prefecture. “The extreme right in power will not let go, let’s fight them now!” » Or “Popular front: all united”, proclaimed hastily made signs. Many local elected officials, in tricolor scarves, were present.
Several thousand people also gathered in Nantes (4,400), Rennes (4,000) and Rouen (800). In Nantes, the police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and trash cans were on fire as the procession passed, which dissipated peacefully, noted an AFP journalist.
“What happened yesterday was a shock. We don’t want to stay alone, we needed to see what the capacity was to mobilize against this”said Marie, a 69-year-old retiree, in the Rennes demonstration.
Maël, a 19-year-old student, indicated for his part that he did not want “live in a France governed by the RN”remembering that it would not be “not the first time in history that fascism will arrive[it] in power by the ballot box ».
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“I don’t understand this decision to dissolve”
In Bordeaux, 2,800 people, according to the prefecture, also gathered at Place de la Victoire to the rhythm of drums and the melody of Bella Ciao. “FN, RN of roots and hatred”, “No to the Hate era”, could we read on signs.
“I really don’t understand this decision to dissolve. In three weeks, there cannot be a solid alliance against the RN”fears Muriel Jules, an 82-year-old retiree.
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However, the atmosphere galvanized Julia T., 30 years old: “When I was little, I witnessed from afar (…) the mobilization following the passage of [Jean-Marie] Le Pen in the second round [de l’élection présidentielle de 2002]. Today, it’s my turn to take to the streets to shout my refusal of a France turned in on itself”said the young woman.
In Lyon, at the call of left-wing and ultra-left movements, the demonstrators numbered 2,800 according to the police. Some were prevented from crossing a bridge to reach the Vieux Lyon district, stronghold of the ultra-right, by a police cordon “who used tear gas after throwing projectiles” of these demonstrators in his direction, according to the prefecture. Trash cans were also set on fire at the end of the evening, AFP noted.
In Grenoble, there were 1,800 demonstrators, according to a police Source, a thousand in Montpellier, Saint-Etienne and Besançon. In Strasbourg, there were 950 according to the police. “The far right has inoculated all the ranks of the National Assembly up to Macronie. (…) Let’s not let them do it! »launched La France insoumise MP Emmanuel Fernandes into the microphone. “We will take our responsibilities so that on June 30, we present ourselves as a united, humanist front”promised the chosen one.
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