Hundreds of thousands of opponents of the far right took to the streets this Saturday in many cities in France. Less than a week after the announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly and the historic result of the RN in the European electionsunions, associations and left-wing coalition of the “New Popular Front” called to take to the streets this weekend.
According to the CGT, 640,000 people demonstrated in France while the Ministry of the Interior counted 250,000 people. For its part, the CGT counted 250,000 in Paris alone where the procession took the traditional Republic-Bastille-Nation route. A total of 75,000 people demonstrated in the capital, according to the police headquarters. Some 21,000 mobile police and gendarmes were deployed to supervise these demonstrations. Five members of the internal security forces were injured in Paris, according to the Interior, which recorded 20 arrests, including nine in Paris, and 16 in police custody, including five in Paris.
A look back at the demonstrations across the country thanks to the local branches of France Bleu.
Democracy “in danger”
The demonstrators gathered in particular because they believe that democracy is “in danger” like a La Rochelle where 700 people were gathered. “This is a historic moment, we are potentially in a tipping point for democracy, it is absolutely necessary that everyone mobilizes to vote for a project of progress, solidarity, more social justice, the opposite of what the far right wears”declared the N.1 of the CFDT, Marylise Léon during a press conference in Paris before the departure of the procession. “I thought I was never going to see the far right come to power and now it can happen”fears Florence David, 60 years old, trainer who parades in Paris.
In the Gard, there were more than a thousand of them hitting the streets in the morning. There are 1,500 demonstrators in Bayonne. Nearly 2,000 demonstrators marched in Le Havre, there were 6,000 in Rouen according to the organizers. They were 11,700 demonstrators in Marseilleaccording to the Bouches-du-Rhône police headquarters.
In Guéret600 people mobilized “for democracy and against the extreme right”. Several hundred demonstrators were also present in Tours and Chinon this Saturday morning. Same thing in Périgueux where the demonstrators brandished signs: “No to R-hate”, “The fascists vote, and you?”, or even “Popular front, against the brown plague”. Antoine, who does not yet have the right to vote, wanted to add his stone to the building: “We are facing History. Soon, the far right could govern in France. Which would be absolutely catastrophic.” he testified from France Bleu Gascogne in Dax.
Phéline Leloir-Duault
At Nancy, between 2,000, according to the police, and 5,000 demonstrators, according to the CGT, responded to the call to protest against the surge of the far-right. A gathering in calm and in a festive atmosphere. Same thing in Tarbes and Pau. HAS Cherbourg, there were hundreds of them marching this Saturday morning. HAS Dijonaccording to police figures, 2,500 people demonstrated, more than 4,000 according to the union count.
Anna Bonnemasou-Carrère
For the rights of women and LGBTQIA+
The demonstrators also mobilized to defend the rights of women and LGBTQIA+, facing the threat from the far right. Around 3,000 people gathered in Ardèche and Drôme where the slogan “The Drôme pisses off the National Front!” was chanted. In Valencia, the feminist collective Les Rosies, a reference to the figure of Rosie the Riveter, performed a few dance steps to the sound of singer Chris. The demonstrators of the same movement in Paris chose to use a title from Diam’s.
“I am here to defend women’s rights, equality between peoples, ecology too”, testified Marie, 58 years old, employed in National Education, present in the Parisian procession. HAS NantesChloé, 19, is very worried: “If the RN passes, there will be no measures for women, racialized and LGBT people, and the right to abortion could be called into question. she said.
At the beginning of the afternoon, the demonstration against the extreme right started in Strasbourg with the unions at the head of the procession, noted France Bleu Alsace. She then joined the pride march which defends LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility and which was held at the same time.
Youth mobilized
In the capital, demonstrators began to pound the streets, in a good-natured atmosphere, with cries of “the youth piss off the National Front”, cult phrase from the song “Porcherie”, by the punk group Bérurier noir. Many young people have in fact mobilized to oppose the entry of the head of the National Rally Jordan Bardella into Matignon. “The situation is serious, we must get involved”, explained Gauvin, a 20-year-old student, in Paris. In Grenoble, where between 6,900 and 8,500 people demonstrated, young people came in numbers, France Bleu Isère also noted.
In Dax, Géraldine Madounari, general secretary of the CGT, also noted the presence of young people. “It’s quite exceptional in Dax.” she assured, even though they were surrounded by a lot of gray hair. “We want to show that young people are against the extreme right,” concluded Antoine in the Landes procession.
