Thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, responding to a call from a far-left party leader who criticized as a power grab the president's appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier.
The protests are a direct challenge to President Emmanuel Macron's decision to bypass a prime minister from the far-left bloc following a deeply dividing legislative election in July. The left, particularly the France Unbowed party, views Barnier's conservative background as rejecting the electorate's will, further intensifying the EU's second economy's already charged political atmosphere.
Authorities expected tens of thousands of demonstrators. In Paris, protesters gathered at Place de la Bastille and tensions ran high as police prepared for potential clashes. Other rallies in 150 points nationwide include the southwestern cities of Montauban and Auch.
In Montauban, the demonstrators denounced Barnier's appointment as denying democracy, echoing France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon's fiery rhetoric from recent days. "The people have been ignored," a rally speaker told the crowd.
While Barnier was meeting with health care workers at Paris' Necker Hospital for his first official visit as prime minister, opponents say the unrest in the streets is shaping his government's future.
