“Resistance”, “dismissal”: the left marches against Emmanuel Macron
Thousands of left-wing protesters march in France on Saturday against “the coup” of the President of the Republic. With some 150 demonstrations planned throughout the country, the left, led by La France Insoumise (LFI), has chosen the streets as a warm-up tour for a political autumn that promises to be hot.
“Denial of democracy”, “The French did not vote for that”, “that[e Macron] resigns » : In processions, the same words are often used to express indignation and anger at the appointment of Michel Barnier (Les Républicains, LR) as Prime Minister.
Cindy Rondineau, a 40-year-old photographer, and her partner Aubin Gouraud, a 42-year-old farmer, are left-wing, but they told Agence France-Presse that they are not used to demonstrating. On Saturday morning, however, they made the trip from Chaumes-en-Retz to Nantes – about thirty kilometres – to take part in the mobilisation. “We really feel like we are not being heard as voters”the couple releases. Their 8-year-old daughter is holding a sign. “Macron, you are screwed, the CE2 are on the street” in the middle of a joyful family procession that marched behind a banner “Only one solution: impeachment”The demonstration brought together between 2,500 people, according to the prefecture, and 8,000 people, according to the organizers.
The crowd was less in NiceIn a department where the National Rally (RN), LR and the Eric Ciotti-RN trade union lists share nine electoral districts, between 900 and 1,000 people, according to sources, marched behind the banner. “Let us defend our democracy”.
“I think that in any case expressing one’s vote will be of no use as long as Macron is in power”criticizes Manon Bonijol, 21, who came to demonstrate in Paris. Place de la Bastille, Abel Couaillier, 20 years old, student, confesses to being “stunned” on the appointment of Michel Barnier: “An old political elephant that has no relation to the aspirations shown by the French. » “I want to believe that we can change things and I will continue to vote, it is the only way we can make things change”continues. Alexandra Germain, 44, the project manager, is even more bitter: “It is a dictatorship that is being established. We have not been heard in the streets for a long time, and now we are no longer heard at the polls.”
