While many demonstrations will take place this Saturday, thousands of people marched in several cities on Friday against the far right. In Lyon, 3,500 people gathered, according to the prefecture, while in Montpellier the procession brought together 4,000 people, according to the prefecture and more than 10,000 according to the organizers.
In the Lyon metropolis, the procession made up of groups coming with families set off from City Hall with banners displaying slogans like “We already tried in 1940!” » or “We don’t play with fire”, in reference to the logo of the National Rally. Violence left four injured, including three police officers according to the prefecture.
Of fear and indignation
“I motivated the troops after school,” explains Faustine, 34, accompanied by her two children aged 4 and 6 and two couples of friends, also with their young children. “We are afraid, we are outraged, we need to feel numerous,” she told AFP, preferring not to give her last name. A little further away, Joan, 28, demonstrated to “show that it is not only the parties but all of civil society that comes together around values”.
“People need to be worried, especially abstainers, that they are not listening to certain speeches that make very dangerous amalgamations,” says Brigitte, 72, who came to express her “hostility to the RN” and who, like others, prefers not to give his full identity.
Young people and retirees
In Roanne, in the Loire, the gathering brought together 800 people according to the organizers, 560 according to the police. “It’s nice to see that many young people are mobilizing to participate in this citizen movement,” Sophie Cuisson, general secretary of the local CGT union of the Loire sub-prefecture, told AFP.
In Montpellier, in the south of France, most of the demonstrators were young. But retirees have also moved. “We are really reassured and delighted to see so many young people marching and getting involved. They take the subject head on and we can see that they want to unite,” explains Cathy Chauveau, a former National Education official. Fine Arts student, Louise Criblig came “to defend our rights”. “We risk finding ourselves in an extreme right-wing France, that scares me very, very much,” she said, congratulating herself on having managed to convince “two people who had abstained” to vote during the elections. European elections.
Some 150 actions expected this weekend
In Toulouse, around 200 people marched peacefully, chanting “no fascists in our neighborhoods, no neighborhood for fascists” as well as slogans in support of the Palestinian territories.
This weekend, some 150 actions, demonstrations and rallies have been recorded so far in the country. According to the authorities, between 300,000 and 350,000 people are expected in the streets, including 50,000 to 100,000 in Paris. Around 21,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed throughout France to supervise these demonstrations.