PARIS – Crowds of protesters marched through the Place de la République in Paris during major nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday, with some protesters climbing the massive statue of Marianne, the feminine embodiment of the French republican values of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Opposition to austerity measures and possible cuts to social programmes featured in many of the demands voiced by demonstrators, but at the Place de la République, the central focus was not on France and possible budget cuts.
The Palestinian cause and the war in Gaza took centre stage, especially for younger protesters. The French tricolour was scarce, but a large Palestinian flag was spray-painted onto the statue of Marianne. A few demonstrators – their faces covered by keffiyehs – sprayed red paint over the eyes of stone children on the statue’s pedestal.
Credit: Sarantis Michalopoulos
Among the crowd in the square, Palestinian flags fluttered alongside banners bearing the slogan of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara: “Hasta la victoria siempre”, or ever onward to victory.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced that France would formally recognise a Palestinian state in the coming months. However, some protesters viewed that step as insufficient, and aim to increase pressure on Macron.
Others saw the focus on Palestine in this symbolically important square as a deliberate way to convey a powerful message. “We cannot talk about democracy and not chant ‘Free Palestine’,” said a student at the protest.
A passerby expressed a contrasting opinion: “Anarchists dancing on the statue of Marianne (…) I am leaving, this cannot be modern France.”
Credit: Sarantis Michalopoulos
Frustration with Macron
Another notable feature of the protests at the Place de la République on Wednesday was the visible anger of young people towards Macron.
Obscene slogans denouncing the French president could be seen scrawled throughout the square, and most of the protesters interviewed could not be directly quoted on television, as they used vulgar language to describe Macron.
Most protesters expressed frustration for two main reasons.
First, they criticised Macron’s decision to appoint a close friend – former Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu – as France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years. As one student said, “Macron doesn’t care about the demands for change.”
The second concern centred on Lecornu’s perceived closeness with the French far right after media reports of him having met last year with Marine Le Pen. Protesters believe that with this appointment, Macron is signalling a willingness to align with Le Pen and potentially secure her far-right party’s support to pass budget cuts.
While France’s political future remains uncertain, what appears clear is that the wave of public anger is only just beginning to build.
Credit: Sarantis Michalopoulos
(bts, vc)
