The candidate is contesting the second round of the presidential elections with current President Emmanuel Macron
Thousands of people took part in actions against the French candidate Marine Le Pen (National Group) on Saturday (04/16/2022). Demonstrations were registered in at least 30 cities in France. She is running in the presidential elections with current French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron (The Republic in March!). The second ballot is scheduled for April 24th.
The Interior Ministry speaks of 22,800 demonstrators. Organizers said the protests were attended by 150,000 people.
According to Reuters, the demonstrations were mostly peaceful. The agency spoke to the President of SOS Racism, Dominique Sopo. The group together with others from human rights organizations, trade unions and associations called for the protests. “If the radical right is in power, we will see a major collapse in the democratic, antiracist and progressive camps,” he said.
As in 2017, France is divided between Macron’s and Le Pen’s projects, now “more relaxed” and reportedly less caustic than at the last election.
In this election, Le Pen left the rightwing radicalization to Reconquista candidate Éric Zemmour, who left the first ballot with 7.1% of the vote. “I’m sick of the noise and the anger,” she told Le Figaro in February.
There were also demonstrations against Macron in some cities.
“People need to realize that despite their anger at Emmanuel Macron and his policies, there is no equivalence between a liberal and conservative candidate and a radical right candidate,” Sopo told Reuters.
Macron held a rally in Marseille. He told those present that Le Pen’s right wing represented “a risk” for France.
In the first round, Macron received 27.85% of the votes versus 23.15% for Le Pen. The Ipsos Sopra Steria poll (full 2 MB) published on Saturday (April 16) shows that the current president is 55 .5% of voting intentions versus 44.5% for Le Pen.
The research was commissioned by the newspaper Le Parisien. From April 14th to 16th, 1,676 voters over the age of 18 were interviewed and entered on the French electoral rolls.
Check out videos of the demonstrations posted on social media:
Big crowd in the streets of #Paris against the extreme right and Marine Le Pen. #StopLePen pic.twitter.com/D6mw66kTQq
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) April 16, 2022
“Everybody Hates Marine Le Pen”
Important mobilization in the streets of Paris against the extreme right. #ProtestsApril16 pic.twitter.com/6oMjhUcwEC
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) April 16, 2022
#France Protest in Lyon against Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen pic.twitter.com/lhVoZN5vYP
— NiCoLeEliSei (@NiCoLeEliSei1) April 16, 2022
People who are present on the street for that #MarchDesSolidarités against the 2nd round between le pen and macron and against fascism and authoritarianism #NiMacronNiLePen #demonstration16april pic.twitter.com/SNsLUZ1FF3
— Charli ☀️🦎 (@CharliB97783485) April 16, 2022