Hundreds of thousands of leftists took to the streets across France on Saturday to protest the alleged threat to democracy posed by the possibility of people voting for the populist National Rally party of Marine Le Pen in the impending snap election called by President Macron.
According to the far-left aligned CGT union, 640,000 leftists protested in 145 anti-National Rally (RN) demonstrations throughout France on Saturday, with approximately 250,000 in Paris, alone.
Estimates from the Ministry of the Interior were considerably lower, however, still showed significant numbers, with the government counting around 75,000 in Paris and 175,000 across the rest of the country for a total of around a quarter million people.
The ministry said that the second-largest gathering was seen in Marseille where an estimated 12,000 people protested, followed by Nantes with 8,500, Rennes with 8,000, Grenoble with 6,900, and Toulouse with 5,000.
Protesters hold an anti-far right banner during a rally in Paris, Saturday, June 15, 2024. Anti-racism groups joined French unions and a brand-new left-wing coalition in protests in Paris and across France on Saturday against the surging National Rally as frenzied campaigning is underway ahead of snap parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
At least nine people were arrested in Paris and three police officers were injured according to the capital’s Police Prefecture, Le Figaro reports.
At the Place de la Bastille — the starting point for the French Revolution — the July Column was tagged with graffiti by leftists who wrote “Free Gaza” and “Bardella FDP” (Bardella son of a bitch) in reference to the popular 28-year-old president of the anti-mass migration National Rally party.
Saturday’s protest against the so-called “extreme right” came after President Emmanuel Macron’s surprise decision to dissolve the National Assembly and call for a snap legislative election, which many on the left fear will see the National Rally take control of the French parliament and possibly force Macron into taking Bardella on as his prime minister in a “cohabitation” government.
Mr Macron, who was resoundingly defeated by the RN in the European Parliament elections last weekend, appeared to be banking on the disunity of the left in France in the hopes that they would ultimately be forced into backing his neo-liberal Rennaisance party yet again in order to prevent the quote-on-quote “far-right” from taking power.
A protester holds an anti-far right banner during a rally in Paris, Saturday, June 15, 2024. Anti-racism groups joined French unions and a brand-new left-wing coalition in protests in Paris and across France on Saturday against the surging National Rally as frenzied campaigning is underway ahead of snap parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
However, his decision to call for a snap election has seemingly smoothed over the divisions on the left, with the four largest leftist parties, the Socialists, the green Les Écologists, and the French Communist Party, and La France Insoumise (France Unbowed/LFI) of Jean-Luc Mélenchon coming together for an election alliance dubbed the “New Popular Front” which takes its name from a similar alliance in France ahead of World War II.
The “New Popular Front” — which has been criticised by many over the inclusion of the LFI led by Mélenchon, who has been accused of antisemitism and of making excuses for radical Islamist terrorists like Hamas — was bolstered on Saturday by the inclusion of former Socialist Prime Minister François Hollande, who announced he would run as a New Popular Front candidate in the National Assembly elections on June 30th.
Conversely, it has been the political right which has fallen into disunity and chaos despite RN’s big win in the European elections, with the leader of the centre-right Les Républicains Eric Ciotti announcing an election alliance with the National Rally, only to have members of his own party attempt to remove him over the move. Sensationally, Ciotti briefly locked himself in the office of the party’s headquarters to prevent the rebels from removing him.
It is still unclear if Ciotti will be able to remain on as leader of the party, however, he has claimed to have around 80 deputies willing to support his alliance with RN. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, more infighting broke out within the Reconquête! party of anti-mass migration author Éric Zemmour.
This week, Reconquête party vice president and niece of Marine Le Pen, Marion Maréchal broke ranks to advocate for an election pact with her aunt’s party, without consulting Zemmour and blaming him for impeding progress on a deal. Zemmour claimed that this represented the “world record of betrayal” and expelled her from the party.