Zoe Pallier edited by Wassila Belhacine and AFP 9:11 p.m., April 16, 2022
In Paris and in the regions, nearly 23,000 demonstrators went on Saturday to say "no to the far right", without supporting Emmanuel Macron eight days before the second round of the presidential election.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, 13,600 people mobilized in more than 50 demonstrations in the regions and 9,200 in Paris.
REPORT
On the sidelines of Marine Le Pen's campaign, demonstrations took place today in around thirty cities against the far right.
A mobilization at the call of more than 30 organizations and unions, including SOS Racisme, the CGT or the Syndicat de la magistrature.
In Paris, they were 9,200, according to the prefecture, to parade between Nation and Republic.
They protested against the possible arrival of the candidate of the national rally at the Elysée, but more broadly against the Macron-Le Pen duel in the second round of the presidential election.
“Neither Macron nor Le Pen”
"No Le Pen at the Elysée".
This is the message written in red and black on the banner at the head of the procession.
Behind, there are some veterans: "I demonstrated in 2002, twenty years ago and also in 2017", declares a demonstrator at the microphone of Europe 1.
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But the crowd is rather young.
Almost everyone here voted Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round.
Like Clémentine, she is 28 years old and she teaches history: "We obviously do not find ourselves in Marine Le Pen's project, which is a constitutional and racist aberration. It is important to demonstrate against his presence in the second round. "
Above the heads rise a few signs "Neither Macron nor Le Pen", the poster for the second round that Charles has trouble accepting: "I came to express my disagreement and in fact my anger and my hatred against all these people who deny us a desirable future," he said.
Block or abstain?
A question obsesses the demonstrators: should we block or abstain?
And this question is debated within the couple of Caroline and Mathieu.
"I will vote Macron only for the anti-racist fight, but even if I completely disagree with this vote, really coming here, it allows me to gain a little strength, precisely", declares Caroline.
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"I'm not quite on the same wavelength in terms of voting. I'm convinced to vote white", announces Mathieu for his part.
Everyone here promises to come back to demonstrate regularly in the coming months against the government of Marine Le Pen or that of Emmanuel Macron.