Some 110,000 people, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, marched in France on Saturday, September 7, against “the coup de force” by Emmanuel Macron. With some 150 mobilizations planned throughout the country, the left, La France insoumise (LFI) in the lead, has chosen the street as a warm-up for a political autumn that promises to be hot.
The leader of the “insoumis” deputies, Mathilde Panot, announced 160,000 demonstrators in Paris and 300,000 in France. In the capital, the police headquarters estimated the procession at 26,000 people.
The initiative, launched at the end of August by two student and high school unions and then taken over by the “insoumis”, is part of a broader strategy of protest by Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s troops, who have also filed a procedure for the impeachment of the President of the Republic in the National Assembly. An initiative that is struggling to gain support on the left: like the major trade unions, the Socialist Party (PS) did not relay the call to demonstrate on Saturday; and only six elected ecologists and three overseas representatives have initialed, in addition to the LFI deputies, the impeachment proposal.
“Denial of democracy”, “The French didn’t vote for this”, “that[e Macron] resign » : in the processions, the same words, often, to express the indignation and anger at the nomination of Michel Barnier (Les Républicains, LR) as Prime Minister – a post that the Head of State refused to Lucie Castets, the candidate of the New Popular Front (NFP), who came out on top in the early legislative elections in July.
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“A long-lasting battle”
In Paris, the demonstration set off from Place de la Bastille at around 2:30 p.m. “Democracy is not only the art of accepting having won, it is also the humility of accepting having lost.”declared Jean-Luc Mélenchon, perched on a truck in the procession, addressing Emmanuel Macron. “There will be no pause, I call you to a long-lasting battle”the “rebellious” leader told the crowd.
The choice of Michel Barnier strengthened the determination of the demonstrators, even if the police only anticipated a limited turnout (between 4,000 and 8,000 people in Paris). “We see that a pact has been sealed between Macronie, the right and the extreme right”fumed MP (Seine-Saint-Denis) Aurélie Trouvé to the press, as shouts rang out in the crowd “Macron resign”. If Michel Barnier assured Friday that he was ready to work with the left, “no one is fooled”added the “rebellious” elected official.
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Michel Barnier benefited, in order to access Matignon, from the goodwill of the National Rally (RN), which decided to give him a chance. The new Prime Minister “seems to meet at least the first criterion that we had requested, that is to say someone who is respectful of the different political forces”reacted Marine Le Pen, after the announcement from the Elysée. “He is a man who has never been excessive in the way he has spoken about the National Rally, who has never ostracized the RN, he is a man of discussion”the leader of the far-right deputies further stressed.
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Young people came in large numbers
In Nantes, the demonstration gathered between 2,500, according to the prefecture, and 8,000 participants, according to the organizers. In Rennes, the demonstration gathered, in a calm manner, 4,800 people. The turnout was smaller in Nice. In a department where RN, LR and the Eric Ciotti-RN union lists share all nine constituencies, between 900 and 1,000 people, according to sources, marched behind the banner “Let’s defend our democracy”.
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In Marseille, the demonstration brought together between 3,500 people (according to the police) and 12,000 people (according to the organizers). In the processions, young people came in large numbers. “It seems like there will never be a way to put the left in power”regretted Louise, 30, in the Lyon procession. “We moved a lot during the elections to go and vote, to be present and have this civic commitment and it was no use.”
