France Tens of thousands of people demonstrate against immigration law

France: Tens of thousands of people demonstrate against immigration law

Paris, January 21 (EFE). – Tens of thousands of people demonstrated across France this Sunday against the controversial immigration law, four days before the Constitutional Council announces its decision on the validity of the norm.

In total, 164 marches were called across the country to protest against what organizers call “a dangerous turn in the history of our republic,” according to the manifesto signed by 201 figures from various sectors of public life.

In Paris, participants – 16,000 according to authorities – marched between two symbolic locations, the Place du Trocadéro and the monumental Les Invalides complex.

Among the participants were personalities from art and politics, such as the heads of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, and the Communist Party, Fabien Roussel.

The Constitutional Council will make its decision next Thursday on the constitutionality of the law, which was approved last December with the votes of Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement Nationale (RN).

The law, passed by both houses of parliament in mid-December, contains conservative-inspired measures since the government does not have a majority in the legislature and needs the support of the traditional right.

These measures include tightening social benefits, redressing crimes due to illegal stay or tightening family reunification.

On December 22, the Left and Environmental Parties appealed to the Constitutional Council, alleging that up to 24 articles of the law violated the French Constitution. EFE

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