Twenty-four hours before the first round of municipal elections, the streets took to the streets. On Saturday, thousands of citizens answered the call of some 85 rallies across France. Under the banner of the "March of Solidarity," demonstrators marched to denounce the rise of the far right, racism, police violence, and international conflicts.

A united front against the "normalization" of the far right

From Lyon to Marseille, via Paris, the marches brought together diverse profiles, from high school students to retirees, united by a common concern: the normalization of radical discourse.

1. In Lyon: The march set off from Place Bellecour in an atmosphere of symbolic tension. Matthieu, a 24-year-old bricklayer, explained his presence as a necessary act of resistance: "If we don't show that we're here, the fascists will get away with more and more." The mobilization follows the outcry sparked by the recent tribute to Quentin Deranque, a radical far-right activist.
2. In Marseille: Nearly 2,500 people demonstrated. For Sarah, 28, the fight is global: "Fascist discourse is becoming more and more normalized," she laments, targeting the threats facing minorities and the vulnerable.

Convergence of struggles: from the local to the international

In Paris, the Place de la Nation became the rallying point for a dense crowd heading towards the Place de la République. Organized by groups defending foreigners and human rights, the march saw a convergence of social and geopolitical demands.

"For me, France and the international scene are linked," sums up Martine, 68.

Palestinian and Lebanese flags flew alongside those of Greenpeace , Attac , and FAGE . The condemnation of police violence and the war in the Middle East thus became intertwined with the urgent need for national democracy.

A national mobilization in figures

The scale of the movement was felt in all major French cities:

City	Number of protesters (official sources/AFP)
Marseille	2,450
Toulouse	2,000
Bordeaux	1,350
Lille	650

With the municipal election looking particularly uncertain, this day of action highlights a desire to influence the public debate beyond the ballot box, in a social and security context deemed worrying by the participants.