French protesters are standing up to the far right ahead of the country’s snap elections

By JADE LE DELEY and ELISE MORTON
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Anti-racism groups are joining French unions and a brand-new left-wing coalition in protests in Paris and across France against the surging nationalist far right. The demonstrations on Saturday afternoon come as parties engage in frenzied campaigning for snap parliamentary elections. Protesters fear that the elections will produce France’s first far-right government since World War II. Crowds have been gathering daily ever since Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration National Rally made historic gains in the European Parliament elections on Sunday. The party crushed President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business moderates and prompted him to dissolve the National Assembly. New elections for the lower house of parliament are now set in two rounds for June 30 and July 7.