PARIS (voa) – More than a million people have demonstrated in cities across France in May Day protests against far-right presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Police say some 400,000 Le Pen opponents gathered in Paris, in addition to protests by about 900 of people in Grenoble, Bordeaux, Marseilles, Toulouse, Lyon, Strasbourg and other French cities.
Earlier, about 10,000 supporters of the far-right candidate, waving French flags and carrying banners, marched through Paris to a square in front of the city’s opera.
The demonstrations come ahead of Sunday’s run-off election in which Mr. Le Pen will face incumbent President Jacques Chirac.
The anti-Le Pen protesters have said they plan to march away from supporters of the far-right candidate in an effort to prevent any violence.
Some 3,500 police have been deployed in the French capital to keep the potentially explosive situation under control.
President Chirac called on demonstrators to remain calm, saying nothing would be worse than violence and confrontation.
