The left protests in the streets of Paris against Le Pen’s victory: “Here are the anti-fascists”

At least 2,000 demonstrators protested against the partial victory of the far right on Sunday at the Place de la République in Paris, one of the emblematic spots of the French left, and demanded that Macron vote for the best-placed progressive candidates in the second round on July 7.

“Since 2002, whenever there has been a second round against the far right, the left has blocked the far right by voting for conservative lists that we did not like. Now that it is the other way around, we do not see such a clear message for people to vote for us,” lamented Rebeca, a French woman who speaks fluent Spanish.

A few metres from the statue representing Marianne (the embodiment of the French Republic), the young woman who works in sustainable finance carries a sign reminding us that the so-called ‘barrage republicain’ (‘republican blockade’which serves to curb the far-right Le Pen supporters, who are not considered completely democratic, in the second rounds) does not apply only to left-wing voters.

In addition to citizens, the main leaders of the parties that make up the New Popular Front attended the rally: the Socialist, the Communist, the Greens and La France Insoumise.

“Not leaving a clear message is neither serious nor responsible. We have to try convince centrist and moderate right-wing voters that the extreme right must be stopped. We have done so when it was our turn,” added the young woman.

Macron and the outgoing Prime Minister, Gabriel Attaladvocated for “a clearly democratic and republican union for the second round” on July 7, but it was not clear whether this union is unconditional for all the Popular Front candidates.

The party leading this alliance, the opposition La France Insoumise (LFI), has been heavily criticised by Macronists, who have put it on a par with the RN, particularly for the figure of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The spiritual leader of the LFI and three-time presidential candidate has been the target of criticism from Macron and his allies for statements considered anti-Semitic and for his invectives against the police.

Amid chants against the RN and its possible prime minister, Jordan Bardellathe demonstrators on the Place de la République waved the flags of Palestine, Algeria, France and South Africa. “We are all anti-fascists,” “the youth are annoying the RN,” chanted the young people, many of them wearing Mélenchon’s LFI insignia.