France Thousands protest in Paris against Le Pen's electoral ban
Several thousand supporters of French right-wing populist Marine Le Pen have gathered for a rally in Paris to protest against a court ban on her participation in elections. Le Pen was the main speaker at the rally and described the ruling as an attack on the will of the people. This is an essential fight for the truth, she said. Her honor had been trampled underfoot. "I will not give up."
06.04.2025, 16:50
SDA
The event took place near the Hôtel des Invalides. The square was not completely full. Le Pen's party Rassemblement National (RN) had called for the event and had expected up to 10,000 participants.
The background to this is a court ruling on Monday, according to which Le Pen, leading party members and the RN were convicted of embezzling EU funds. Particularly controversial: Le Pen is banned from standing in elections for five years - a penalty that came into force immediately.
Counter-protests - 15,000 people for the rule of law
Parallel to the RN rally, two counter-protests also took place several kilometers away in Paris. According to the organizers, around 15,000 people gathered on the Place de la République. The left-wing party La France Insoumise and the Greens, among others, had called for the protest.
The participants warned against the rise of the far right and called for the defense of the rule of law. President Emmanuel Macron's party also used a long-planned meeting in Saint-Denis on the outskirts of Paris as a political platform against the RN. Party leader Gabriel Attal accused the RN of attacking the judges and France's institutions with this action.
Le Pen appealed against the ruling, but fears that the proceedings could drag on too long for her to be able to run in the 2027 presidential election. The Court of Appeal has announced that it will rule by summer 2026 at the latest.
