The China Mail - Tens of thousands in France protest racism and far right

Some protesters took aim at the US administration of Donald Trump and others carrying Palestinian flags.

Police officers and some protesters clashed in Paris.

The rallies took place amid the rightward shift in French politics, with the government pledging to tighten immigration policies and border controls.

Nearly 91,000 people took part in protests across France, said the interior ministry, with the Paris rally attracting 21,500.

Two people were arrested and three people injured, including a riot police officer, during the clashes in Paris, the ministry statement added.

At demonstrations elsewhere in France, there were three other arrests.

Many of those marching highlighted the growing strength of reactionary political forces, in France but also in the United States.

In the French capital, thousands of people took to the streets.

"Fascism is gangrene from Washington to Paris," read one placard.

"The far right is on the rise everywhere in Europe," said Evelyne Dourille, a 74-year-old pensioner.

"It's scary because in France we see far-right ideas becoming more and more commonplace, even among ministers in this government."

- 'Alarming increase' in racism -

One American protester said similar demonstrations should be taking place in the United States.

"America is sliding towards fascism," said the 55-year-old woman.

Aurelie Trouve, a lawmaker for the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, pointed to the growing popularity of the far-right party of Marine Le Pen in France.

"Far-right ideas are contaminating even the government," she said.

In the southern port city of Marseille, some 3,300 people took to the streets, while 2,600 protested in Lille in the north, according to police.

"Against state Islamophobia" and "Tesla is the new swastika" said some of the placards.

Ines Frehaut, a student taking part in her first demonstration, said some of the statements from France's hardline interior minister worried her.

"When you see what Bruno Retailleau has said about Islam, Algeria and the wearing of the veil, it's serious!" she said.

The protests took place a day after the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

"There is a global reactionary offensive against foreigners and their children, against Muslims," added Dominique Sopo, head of SOS Racisme, also pointing to increasing racist and anti-Semitic acts.

In the run-up to the rallies the LFI party caused an uproar in France by publishing the image of Cyril Hanouna -- one of the most influential stars of right-wing media in the country -- as part of a campaign calling on people to turn out for the anti-racism protests.

The image pictured Hanouna, who was born into a Jewish family that had immigrated to France from Tunisia.

Critics accused the LFI of imitating the anti-Semitic tropes of the Third Reich. Key LFI figures admitted publishing the image was a "mistake" and it was withdrawn.

K.Leung--ThChM