French elections: Chaos on the streets as armed police deployed amid flare throwing
PROTESTERS in Paris have filled the streets with fire and flares as they cause chaos over the rise in popularity of right-wing presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
Tear gas deployed by riot police during anti Le Pen protests
Hundreds of protesters are shouting: “This is Paris! Paris is antifascist.”
Eye witnesses said there are around 400 people marching six days before the first round of the French presidential elections.
Earlier events appeared to be peaceful but a small group formed an angry mob.
Video footage was shot in the northeastern suburb of Aubervilliers.
Anti-fascist Action Paris-Banlieue have organised the march over Ms Le Pen, leader of the National Front, as she is set to see success in the first round of elections.
Armed police on the streets in Paris ahead of Marine Le Pen event
The group said they are protesting the “normalization and amplification of the state of emergency, racism and Islamophobia.”
Ms Le Pen is predicted to lose out to Emmanuel Macron in the second round.
However with failures from pollsters over Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, those against her are taking no chances.
The crowds have been filed screaming “solidarity with refugees”.
Smoke bombs thrown in the streets of Aubervilliers ahead of Marine Le Pen rally
Marine Le Pen's headquarters targeted by arsonists
The Paris march comes almost a week after the headquarters of Le Pen’s National Front party in Paris was hit by a Molotov cocktail.
A group calling themselves “Combat xenophobia” claimed responsibility.
Marine Le Pen is standing against left-wing Jean-Luc Melenchon, Republican Francois Fillon, Benoit Hamon of the Socialist Party and liberal Emmanuel Macron.
Further protesting is expected tomorrow before Ms Le Pen holds an event at indoor area the Zenith.