After the results of the French presidential election, in which current President Emmanuel Macron emerged as the winner, people took to the streets in several cities in the country to demonstrate. Actions were taken in Paris, Lyon and Rennes, among others. “Need a revolution”, the protesters chant, among other things.
In the centre of Paris was demonstrated in the Châtelet district and at the Place de la République, while President Emmanuel Macron gave his victory speech a little further away at the Eiffel Tower.
In Lyon there were clashes between left-wing groups, ‘yellow vest’ protesters and the police. In Rennes in western France, where riots by left-wing groups and protests against the far-right had already erupted after the first round of elections, the prefecture banned a demonstration on Sunday evening. That was to prevent further damage to property and attacks on the police. Still, several people took to the streets. At least one person would have been arrested.
Some protesters set fire to several garbage cans, forcing the fire service to intervene three times. Seven protesters were arrested and one of them was taken into custody, the prefecture reported.
In the centre of Nantes a procession of about 400 to 500 people marched behind a banner that read ‘Need for revolution’. In Toulouse, some 500 people also took part in a demonstration with the slogan ‘Neither Macron, nor Le Pen, revolution’.
Protest after the first round
After the first round, two weeks ago, there were also demonstrations against the choice between incumbent President Macron and right-wing politician Marine Le Pen. The demonstrators believe that a choice must be made between two evils. The Sorbonne University in Paris, among others, was the scene of a protest earlier this month, where hundreds of students blocked the entrance and destroyed the interior.
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