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France: protesters prevent MEP Raphaël Glucksmann from participating in a May 1st parade

by AI | 01.May 2024 | Europe in brief AI

A group of aggressive protesters prevented Raphaël Glucksmann, the lead candidate for the French socialists in the European elections, from joining a May Day parade.

The head of the list of French socialists for the European elections, MEP Raphael Glucksmann delivers a speech during an electoral rally in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, in central-eastern France, on May 1, 2024. (Photo: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)

Saint-Étienne (Loire, France) – MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, head of the French socialists’ list for the European elections, was prevented on Wednesday from joining a May 1st procession after being subjected to paint throwing and verbal abuse by a few dozen activists, a journalist from AFP noted.

Coming to the city of Saint-Etienne (central-east) to join the procession celebrating the international workers’ day, Mr. Glucksmann and his entourage were immediately met with paint throwing and shouts such as “Glucksmann get out” or “Palestine will live”.

Denouncing the action of “about fifty rabble-rousers”, some of whom he said belonged to the radical left party La France Insoumise (LFI), the MEP gave up on joining the parade.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal immediately condemned these acts of violence. The leader of La France insoumise Jean-Luc Mélenchon, with whom Raphaël Glucksmann has numerous disagreements, “totally disapproved” of the incident. (01.05.2024)