They call for the union of left-wing parties for the early legislative elections of June 30 and July 7. In many cities in France, rallies took place on Monday June 10 in the evening, against the rise of the far right and in particular the National Rally, which emerged winner of the European elections on Sunday.
Here is a (non-exhaustive) tour of France of these events, most of which are organized by youth organizations, unions or associations.
In Paris, Place de la République
A rally began at 8 p.m., Place de la République. In the images broadcast on X we see in particular flags of the CGT, the Nupes and the NPA.
In the surrounding crowd, Palestinian flags mixed with those of the CGT, Unef and other organizations that had called for the rally.
Several thousand demonstrators left in a procession shortly after 10 p.m., while the crowd dispersed on the square, towards the headquarters of the Ecologists where the left-wing parties were gathered with a view to finding an agreement for the legislative elections which will take place in less than of three weeks. Along the way, some electoral signs were destroyed and some tags left on the walls: “Neither Macron, nor Bardella” or even “Macron-Bardella, same fight”, noted the AFP journalist.
The atmosphere was more tense shortly before midnight, with the police trying to disperse the procession with disencirclement grenades and charges.
In Marseille, 2,200 people gathered, according to the prefecture
In Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), 2,200 people gathered in front of the prefecture at the call of the CGT, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture informed Agence Radio France. On .
In Brittany, demonstrations in several cities
Mobilizations took place in several towns in Brittany on Monday evening, notably in Brest, Morlaix (Finistère), Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine) and Saint-Brieuc (Côte d’Armor), listed journalists from France 3 Bretagne on site. In the Breton capital, 4,000 people demonstrated for the union of the left and against the extreme right at the call of youth movements of four left-wing parties (EELV, LFI, PCF, PS), reported France Bleu Armorique, specifying that the youth organizations have expressed their desire to mobilize every evening until the first round of the legislative elections .
In Morlaix (Finistère), several dozen people gathered in the city center, during a rally organized by three unions, reported The Telegram on the social network
In Occitania, demonstrations in Montpellier and Toulouse…
In Montpellier (Hérault), nearly a thousand demonstrators gathered against the National Rally and to call for the union of the left, according to the Hérault prefecture. “The elections of June 30 and July 7 give us the opportunity for a popular upsurge to win over social, feminist, environmental and democratic ideas”wrote the local association and café Quartier Généreux in his call launched on social networks inviting people to gather in front of the prefecture. The demonstrators, carrying signs, then marched towards the Promenade du Peyrou and the Place de la Comédie, reported France 3 Occitanie.
Several thousand people marched in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), France Bleu Occitanie reported on X.
In New Aquitaine, demonstrations in Bordeaux, Limoges, Bayonne…
In Bordeaux (Gironde), several hundred demonstrators gathered at Place de la Victoire, before marching on Rue Sainte-Catherine, reports the account on X from France 3 Aquitaine.
If the flags of left-wing political organizations or other Palestinian flags were flying in the air, many participants came “without label”to demonstrate their rejection of the extreme right, according to journalists from France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine on site who,During the procession, we met many young demonstrators, but also older ones, with or without a banner.
In La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) 200 people demonstrated against the far right, reports France Bleu La Rochelle. Several trade union organizations, including the CGT and FSU, as well as left-wing political parties Place Publique, LFI and the Young Communists gathered in the Old Port. A gathering punctuated by speeches and songs hostile to the far right. “Everyone hates fascists” or “Youth annoys the National Front“, launched Student Solidarity.
In Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), there were 250 demonstrators in front of the prefecture, while in Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), a demonstration brought together a thousand people. “The RN is hatred”they chanted in front of the town hall, reports France Bleu Pays Basque.
In Poitiers (Vienne) nearly 500 people gathered in front of the Vienne prefecture at the call of several unions, including the CGT, reported France Bleu Poitou. On site, the UNEF, the CNT, Solidaires, Cimade were present, as well as elected officials from the city and even the outgoing MP Lisa Belluco.
In the North, hundreds of people in the street in Lille
Place de la République in Lille (North) was packed with people on Monday, wrote France 3 Hauts-de-France. A mobilization in reaction to the significant score of the National Rally in the European elections on Sunday saw some several hundred people gather on Place de la République, which faces the prefecture. An appeal launched via social networks in particular, by the student union of Lille, with the slogan “the youth piss off the National Front”, chanted by the demonstrators.
In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, mobilizations in Lyon, Saint-Etienne…
At the height of the movement, around 9 p.m., the gathering numbered around 2,800 people, wrote the regional daily Le Progrès, citing figures from the Rhône prefecture. Responding to a call from left-wing and ultra-left movements, a first group of several hundred demonstrators first gathered around 7 p.m. in front of City Hall, AFP journalists noted. Then the procession joined a second group of demonstrators before continuing towards the Lyon Perrache station, chanting the slogan of the Italian anti-fascists “sommo Tutti anti faschiti” then returning towards the city center.
In Saint-Etienne (Loire), nearly a thousand people also marched in the city center without incident in the evening, denouncing the National Rally and hoping for a “startle” of the left in the next election, noted AFP.
In Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne), some 750 people marched peacefully, according to the police.
In the Grand Est, gatherings in Stransbourg, Besançon…
In Besançon, in Doubs, more than 800 people took part in a demonstration, reports France Bleu Besançon. Protesters first gathered at Place Pasteur before marching through the streets of the city center, shouting slogans like “Besac, Besac, get up!” Or “Damn, antifa!”
A demonstration was also held in Strasbourg, Place Kléberfor a union of the left. After the speech of the former rebellious MP Emmanuel Fernandesthe crowd sang the anti-fascist song “Siamo tutti antifascisti”reported on X a journalist from Rue 89 Strasbourg.