300,000 Rally Across France For May 1, Union Says
Rallies across France for International Workers' Day drew more than 300,000 on Thursday, including 100,000 in Paris, the CGT trade union told AFP.
The authorities were yet to give a figure for the May Day marches' turnout.
The rally in the capital was marred by complaints of violence towards centre-left marchers, with the Socialist Party (PS) denouncing acts of physical aggression towards its supporters and deputies.
An AFP journalist saw protesters covered up in black clothing roughly jostling PS politicians and activists.
"Everyone hates the PS," chanted the protesters, some of whom were carrying far-left anti-fascist flags.
The PS is regularly accused of betrayal by the radical and hard left.
Socialist deputy Jerome Guedj, who quit a rally against Islamophobia on Sunday after being targeted by anti-Semitic invective, had to be escorted away from the procession.
"They hit people and charged, throwing several farm bombs," Guedj told AFP, blaming anti-fascist activists.
Asked about the scenes, the CGT union's chief Sophie Binet told television interviewers: "These are acts of violence which are not welcome in our processions."
But nonetheless "this day of demonstrations was a great success, we've recorded 270 marches in all of France", the trade unionist added.
The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party sought to distance itself from the violence towards PS lawmakers.
"We do not agree that political disagreements should be resolved like that," said LFI national coordinator Manuel Bompard, while asking the media to "stop imputing" actions to the party.
As in 2024 however this year's Labour Day took place with France's trade union movement divided.
Several unions, including the CGT, and youth organisations called for the marches to be "against the far right, for peace, liberty and social justice".
France's far-right National Rally party is riding high in the polls, with its candidate predicted to top the first round of 2027's presidential vote -- even if veteran leader Marine Le Pen is forced by the courts to step aside.
With the 100th day of Donald Trump's second term in the White House just passed, Murielle Guilbert of the Solidarity union said the marches wanted to sound a klaxon "against the Trumpification of the world".
The trade unionist said she did not know "a single worker today who is not worried about what Trump is doing and rising racism".
Last May Day the CGT counted 210,000 protesters in France, including 50,000 in Paris, while the authorities put the total turnout at 121,000. A protester is sprayed with water from a water cannon during a May Day rally in Nantes AFP The Paris march was marred by complaints of violence towards left-wing marchers AFP Some protesters were carrying far-left anti-fascist flags AFP
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