- Title: France's Le Pen holds rally in far-right stronghold Saint-Raphael
- Date: 15th March 2017
- Summary: PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE EXTERIOR OF CONGRESS CENTRE VARIOUS OF LE PEN SUPPORTERS COLLECTING FRENCH FLAGS AS THEY ARRIVE FOR RALLY VARIOUS OF LEAFLETS WITH PICTURES OF LE PEN SUPPORTER WEARING LE PEN HAT WAVING FRENCH FLAG CROWD WAVING FRENCH FLAGS BEFORE RALLY CROWD WAVING FRENCH FLAGS, LE PEN ARRIVING ON STAGE MAN HOLDING SIGN READING (French): "MARINE, PRESIDENT, SAINT-RAPHAEL" VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS WAVING FLAGS AS LE PEN STANDS ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, MARINE LE PEN, SAYING: "France is the only country in Europe that allowed a minister of Mr. (Turkish President Tayyip) Erdogan to come hold a meeting on its territory. (CROWD BOOING) Despite the Turkish president's very serious comments, and the Islamic shift of his regime, is that how we fight against communitarianism, is that how we fight against the spread of Islamic fundamentalism? No, of course not. But the left, like the right, have run out of steam. And without a solution, the entire system hopelessly turns a deaf ear." PEOPLE FILMING RALLY ON SMART PHONES SUPPORTERS CHEERING AND WAVING FLAGS, LE PEN SPEAKING, SUPPORTERS CHANTING (French): "MARINE, PRESIDENT" SUPPORTERS CHANTING (French): "MARINE, PRESIDENT"
- Embargoed: 29th March 2017 22:54
- Keywords: Le Pen Saint-Raphael Marine Le Pen rally election France 2017 National Front
- Location: SAINT-RAPHAEL, FRANCE
- City: SAINT-RAPHAEL, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA003682P16V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen launched a blistering attack on her opponents at a rally on Wednesday (March 15) in the National Front stronghold of Saint-Raphael in the Var region on the southern coast.
In a style reminiscent of U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign rallies, Le Pen said France's left and the right "have run out of steam" as she criticised the country's decision to allow Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to hold a rally in Metz. Dutch authorities prevented Turkey's ministers from speaking at rallies of expatriate Turks in a diplomatic row between the two nations.
Interrupting her speech with chants of "Marine, president!" supporters said Le Pen was part of a movement of anti-EU sovereignists, including Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders, who are overthrowing the traditional systems.
Opinion polls show Le Pen beating conservative candidate Francois Fillon and independent centrist Emmanuel Macron in the first round of the upcoming French presidential election, but then Macron comfortably defeating Le Pen in the second round. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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