Hundreds of French students blocked or commandeered buildings at different institutions around Paris on Thursday to demonstrate their outrage over the forthcoming presidential election in France.
Their primary beef is with what they consider to be a limited field of candidates in the presidential run-off later this month, between centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right Marine Le Pen.
Protesters contended that neither would go far enough to save the poor and the environment.
Numerous incidents and reported blockages were reported to Paris police throughout Thursday at various institutions.
At Macron’s alma mater, Sciences-Po, left-wing students blocked the university’s main entrance with garbage bins and placards.
Separately, a video shared by a far-right student group appeared to show youngsters attempting to dismantle the barricade by throwing pieces of it aside.
“We are all anti-fascists,” students at the famous Sorbonne chanted as they tossed flyers from building windows.
At one point, police shot tear gas in an attempt to deter additional students from attending the protest.
One of their banners read: “Sorbonne occupied against Macron, Le Pen, and their world.”
Many of the protesters are supporters of left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was eliminated from the presidential race after finishing one point behind Le Pen in the first round of France’s presidential election.
“We tried Emmanuel Macron and we didn’t like it, and Le Pen in power — we don’t even want to try it, it is a repulsive possibility,” said one student who gave her name only as Lola at the Sorbonne.
Gabriel Vergnes, a student at Sciences-Po added: “Since young people are concerned with environmental issues, with social issues, with antiracist, feminist and LGBTQ issues, it is very necessary to have a candidate to represent us.”
“We now have a second round with only two right-wing candidates who are the enemies of the workers and of the youth, and we can’t accept that, we can’t accept five more years of austerity and pollution,” he continued.
Many left-wing voters in France saw Le Pen as a threat because of her anti-immigration attitude and criticism of Islam, while Macron is viewed as a “president of the rich” who has followed a pro-business agenda.
Macron leads the polls heading into the pivotal second round, but Le Pen is not far behind.
How Melenchon supporters vote will have a significant impact on who becomes France’s next president.
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