The police warned of possible episodes as protesters gathered in 30 cities. Macron, a pro-EU centrist, won the presidency in 2017 after easily beating Le Pen as voters rallied behind him in the second round to keep the far right out of power. This year, the first round of voting gave the same battle, but Macron faces a much tougher challenge. She is slightly ahead of the polls, but before the first round on April 10, Lepen successfully exploited anger over the cost of living and the perception that Macron is cut off from daily hardships. He finished with 23.1% of the vote against 27.85% of Macron. However, she appeared more vocal this week as interest shifted to her schedule and polls showed Macron has widened his lead. An Ipsos-Sopra-Steria poll on Friday showed the president winning the second round with 56% of the vote. He has won the support of former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande. Hundreds of celebrities and sports figures have also backed him to prevent Lepen from coming to power. Lepen, whose stance is anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic, has sought in recent years to tarnish the image of herself and her party in the National Rally. Opponents, including Macron, said her program was full of lies and false promises – a charge Lepen rejected. “The far right is once again in the second round of the presidential election, boosted by a level of support it has never seen before. “We refuse to see it gain power,” the French Human Rights Association said in a joint statement, announcing the protests, which were co-sponsored by dozens of other rights groups, unions and unions. Speaking to reporters during a campaign in southern France, Le Pen rejected the planned demonstrations as anti-democratic. “The foundation is concerned,” he said. “People protesting against the election results is deeply anti-democratic. I tell all these people to go to the polls. It is so simple.” With the electorate fragmented and undecided, the election is likely to be won by the candidate who can reach beyond his camp to convince voters that the other option would be much worse. For decades, a “republican front” of voters from all sides rallying behind a ruling candidate has helped keep the far right out of power. But Macron, whose sometimes aggressive style and right-wing policies have upset many voters, can no longer automatically count on that support. Climate change activists from the Uprising of the Extermination forced the closure of a central square in central Paris on Saturday, protesting the environmental programs of both candidates. “This election leaves us no choice between a far-right candidate with disgusting ideas… and a candidate who for five years sidelined the issue of ecology and lied,” said Lou, a 26-year-old history teacher who joined the environmental movement two years ago. , he told Reuters. Protesters against Macron will also gather in Paris on Saturday.
