Protesters rally in France against Barnier’s appointment as prime minister
(7 Sep 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France - 7 September 2024
1. Various protesters starting protest march in Place de Bastille area, holding flags and signs
2. Various of Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of France Unbowed, with protesters
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Luc Melenchon, Leader, France Unbowed Party:
"No matter what nonsense you do, no matter how many hours it will last in the media, whatever happens, we will vote to censure this government in the National Assembly."
4. Various of protesters
5. Sign reading (French) "Macron, Treason, Resign!"
6. Placard with painted image of Macron
7. Wide of protest
8. SOUNDBITE (French) Manes Nadel, President, National High School Union:
"We find ourselves today with the exact opposite of what we voted for, that is to say a Prime Minister coming from a consensus, implicit coalition between the National Rally party and the majority presidential party. This is unacceptable. We have mobilized today in unity, in clarity around this clear objective. We are saying that Emmanuel Macron must bend to the popular vote. He must accept the sanction from the voters. Today there is only one solution and that is to name the New Popular Front (left-wing coalition) to the Prime Minister's post. We have to get out of this situation that goes against fundamental democratic principles."
9. Nadel addressing crowd
10. Various of protest
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Myriam (surname not provided), French protester:
"It's anti-democratic and I think that voting is not enough and that's why people are in the streets today. But I think we need to go further. The same way we saw with the pension reform and all the struggles. We need to start organizing from below, including in our communities, in our workplaces, in schools. To actually organize coordinated actions that can put pressure on the government to win everything we want from the government, that we need to... reforms that are necessary for everyone to be equal and live in a better society."
12. Various of protest
STORYLINE:
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 directly challenged President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to bypass a prime minister from the far-left bloc following a deeply dividing —and divided — legislative election result in July. Authorities did not record a huge turnout nationwide.
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.
Saturday's demonstrators denounced Barnier’s appointment as denying democracy, echoing France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon’s fiery rhetoric from recent days.
In Paris, protesters gathered at Place de la Bastille and tensions ran high as police prepared for potential clashes. Some carried placards reading “Where is my vote?”
At the head of the Parisian procession, Melenchon spoke passionately, declaring that “the French people are in rebellion. They have entered into revolution.”
“No matter what nonsense you do, no matter how many hours it will last in the media, whatever happens, we will vote to censure this government in the National Assembly,” he said.
Barnier, who is working to assemble his Cabinet, expressed a commitment to listening to public concerns, particularly about France’s public services.
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