Mass protest against the extreme right in France, 100 thousand people march in Paris

Mass protests against the extreme right have begun in France, at a time when the country has started preparations for early elections, after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly because his party lost the European elections.

In Paris, around 100,000 people took to the streets in the anti-fascism rally that started at 4pm from the Place de la Republique.

150 demonstrations are expected across the country, including cities such as Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon and Lille, as citizens are on alert following the rise of the far-right, with Marine Le Pen's RN party aiming to oust Macron from power.

Police say 350,000 French people will march in the streets across the country and 21,000 police have been mobilized after unions, student groups and human rights groups called for mass rallies.

A first series of polls shows that the far-right RN may win the parliamentary elections and be able to form a government.

A Point magazine poll published yesterday predicts the RN will come out on top in the first round of parliamentary elections with 29.5% of the vote, just shy of a coalition of left-wing parties called the Popular Front expected to get 28 .5%, while Macron's central camp collects 18%.

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