Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the French city of Orléans on Saturday to protest against the National Rally, which is holding its national congress ahead of Marine Le Pen’s presidential campaign launch.
Bally Bagayoko, the La France insoumise mayor of Saint-Denis, joined the demonstration alongside Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure and CGT trade union chief Sophie Binet.
Around 50 political parties, trade unions and associations called for the protest against what they described as “racism, fascism and imperialism.” Authorities had expected between 20,000 and 30,000 demonstrators.
“We have come to tell the far right, looking them straight in the eye, that we are not afraid,” Bagayoko said upon arriving in Orléans.
The mayor rejected suggestions that demonstrators were seeking to provoke violence, insisting that they were defending freedom and democratic values.
Bagayoko also accused the National Rally of spreading hateful rhetoric and criticised President Emmanuel Macron for failing to do enough to curb the party’s growing influence.
The demonstration comes amid heightened tensions across France following a deadly attack in Trappes, west of Paris, on Friday, which left one person dead and five others injured.
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Bagayoko drew a connection between the spread of hateful rhetoric, particularly on social media, and the attack. The alleged racist motivation behind the shooting is being investigated by authorities.
Heavy security ahead of Le Pen’s campaign launch
Nearly 3,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed across Orléans amid fears of clashes between protesters and far-right supporters.
Authorities also mobilised armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones, while several businesses boarded up their windows and public transport services were suspended.
The city’s mayor, Serge Grouard, introduced a nighttime curfew for children under 15 during the weekend.
The National Rally expects thousands of supporters at its two-day congress, where party president Jordan Bardella is expected to secure another term as leader.
The gathering will culminate on Sunday with a major rally marking the launch of Marine Le Pen’s campaign for the 2027 presidential election.
The event is intended to demonstrate the strength of the party as Le Pen seeks to consolidate her position ahead of next year’s vote.
Marylou Magal, a journalist for L’Express, said entry checks at the event included a “quick body search,” with security putting “a hand around women’s backs ‘to check whether they are wearing a bra’. If they are not, they are not allowed in, ‘because of FEMEN.'”
Rapporteur’s Elisa Braun reported having the same experience.
“Security staff checked whether some female journalists, myself included, were wearing bras, apparently to make sure we weren’t Femen activists in disguise,” she wrote in a post on social media.
The rival gatherings come during another weekend of nationwide protests over living costs, public services and government policies, with security forces on heightened alert following recent unrest.
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