By Dominique Vidalon
Paris and other cities across France on Saturday were expected to stage demonstrations against the far-right National Rally ( RN ) ahead of upcoming elections to the French parliament.
Following RN’s boom in next Sunday’s Western elections, police said 350, 000 people were expected to move and 21, 000 officers had been mobilised after workers unions, scholar groups and rights groups called for rallies to resist the anti- immigration, conservative party.
At least 150 rallies were expected in places including Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon and Lille.
In Paris where up to 100, 000 people were expected to change out a protest may set off at 1200 GMT from Place de La Republique, in the south, going through the Bastille circle to Nation.
Speaking from Place de Republique, hard- left CGT union leader Sophie Binet told reporters:” We are marching because we are extremely worried that ( RN’s head ) Jordan Bardella could become the next Prime Minister… We want to prevent this disaster”.
After his moderate ally was defeated by the RN in previous Sunday’s European Parliament poll, President Emmanuel Macron called for a lock parliamentary vote to be held in two sessions on June 30 and July 7.
The RN may win the election and be in a position to shape the future state, according to a second set of opinion surveys.
With 29.5 % of the votes predicted in a poll conducted for Le Point magazine on Friday, RN would take the lead in the first round of the parliamentary election, barely ahead of a coalition of left-wing events called the Popular Front, which received 28.5 % of the vote.
Macron’s moderate station was on 18 %.
At least two polls have indicated that the left is not far behind the RN and back of Macron’s team.
In Tours, eastern France, where thousands of demonstrators were taking part in a March, a symbol read:” For liberties, for rights, for a social and democratic state, against considerably- right ideas and against racism”.
Several banners read: “young people hate the FN ( the RN’s former name ), while a pensioner carried a banner that read:” Old people also hate the RN”.
( Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Additional reporting by Ingrid Melandeer, Editing by David Holmes )
