Thousands of people defied the rain and wind and took to the streets of Paris on Saturday evening to protest against the right-wing trend ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary election.
Anti-racism groups, trade unions, and left-wing sympathisers were among those who expressed their discontent over the right-wing trend in the country and the successes of the far-right National Rally party in the European Parliament election.
Around 250,000 people took part in the protests, 75,000 of them in Paris, according to the French Interior Ministry. Up to 21,000 police officers and gendarmes were called in to handle the demonstrations.
According to the Paris police, disturbances broke out on several occasions, and the Associated Press reporter on the scene reports that police used tear gas against demonstrators who attempted to vandalise bus stops and billboards. Nine demonstrators were arrested and three police officers were injured.
