Thousands Protest National Rally Congress in Orléans
18 sourcesUpdated Oct 24, 20261 min read
On October 24, people gathered at noon in Orléans to protest the National Rally congress. Authorities estimated 11,000; organizers estimated 26,000. Nearly 3,000 security personnel were mobilized and the route changed to keep the march from the congress site. Nationwide, Laurent Nuñez reported 135 arrests and more than 1,000 Paris-region inspections that seized petanque balls, slingshots and an airsoft gun. He called the checks extremely productive. Officials counted 35,000 people in public spaces before afternoon rallies, down from 60,000 the prior Saturday, after announcing 70,000 officers nationwide. Paris prefecture rerouted a CGT march from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation; the administrative court upheld it. Marseille allowed a one-time union demonstration after an initial ban. Lyon banned demonstrations in large parts of the city center; Nice banned all gatherings and deployed police, gendarmes and special forces. A man fired an automatic weapon from a car near Paris, killing one and injuring five; he was arrested. Emmanuel Macron called it a racist terrorist attack.
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Left· 2 sources
“As Le Pen holds far-right congress, Orléans braces to become epicenter of major protests”Center· 5 sources
“Fresh protests across France”Right· 2 sources
“Thousands March as Le Pen's Party Meets”The heavy police presence shows how tense these events have become, but shouting down every opponent won't fix France's actual problems.
It's good to see thousands turning out in Orléans to reject the National Rally's platform and its push before 2027.
