Some demonstrators carried placards reading “Against state Islamophobia” and “Tesla is the new swastika”
Demonstrators throw paint at the police, as people take part in a demonstration against the far-right and racism to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at the Place de la Bastille square, in Paris, France, March 22, 2025. — Reuters
PARIS: Tens of lots of people marched in towns throughout France, together with Paris, to protest against racism and the government’s more difficult immigration rules, with a few demonstrations leading to clashes with police.
Some protesters criticised the United States management of Donald Trump. In Paris, clashes broke out among law enforcement officials and a few demonstrators.
The rallies came about amid a rightward shift in French politics, with the government pledging to tighten immigration regulations and border controls.
According to the indoors ministry, almost 91,000 human beings took part in protests throughout France, with 21,500 attending the rally in Paris.
Two human beings were arrested, and 3 human beings—such as an insurrection police officer—were injured inside the Paris clashes, the ministry stated. Elsewhere in France, 3 more arrests had been made.
Many demonstrators highlighted the developing electricity of reactionary political forces, no longer simply in France but additionally in the United States.
With slogans like “Fascism is gangrene from Washington to Paris”, lots of people took to the streets of Paris. Evelyne Dourille, a 74-year-old antique pensioner, voiced her situation:
“The far right is on the rise everywhere in Europe. It’s horrifying because in France, we see far-right thoughts turning into increasingly more not unusual, even amongst ministers in this government.”
Alarming increase’ in racism
The want for comparable demonstrations inside the United States was emphasised by one American protester. The fifty-five-year-old antique female stated,
“America is sliding toward fascism.” Aurelie Trouve, a lawmaker from the difficult-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, warned about the growing recognition of Marine Le Pen’s far-proper party.
“Far-right thoughts are contaminating even the authorities,” she stated.
In Marseille, three thousand people joined the protests, while 2,600 rallied in Lille, in line with police reviews.
Some demonstrators carried placards reading “Against state Islamophobia” and “Tesla is the new swastika”.
A student who turned out to attend her first protest, Ines Frehaut, expressed issues over remarks made by using France’s hardline indoors minister. “When you see what Bruno Retailleau has said about Islam, Algeria, and the sporting of the veil, it’s severe!” She said. The protests befell a day after the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
“The situation is critical,” the Human Rights League said, warning of an “alarming increase” in racist incidents.
“Global reactionary offensive in opposition to foreigners and their youngsters, against Muslims,” as well as the upward thrust in racist and anti-Semitic acts, have been condemned by Dominique Sopo, head of SOS Racisme.
Ahead of the protests, the LFI birthday party sparked controversy by publishing a picture of Cyril Hanouna—considered one of France’s most influential right-wing media figures—as a part of a marketing campaign urging people to attend the anti-racism rallies.
A photo of Hanouna, who was born into a Jewish circle of relatives that had immigrated from Tunisia, was criticised for being akin to Third Reich anti-Semitic tropes. Key LFI figures later recounted that the image’s guide turned into a “mistake” and retracted it.