- Title: I will protect you, Le Pen tells voters
- Date: 17th April 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (APRIL 17, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS CHEERING AND WAVING FLAGS
- Embargoed: 1st May 2017 23:32
- Keywords: France presidential election Marine Le Pen far right national front
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0046CSFRD3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday (April 18) sought to mobilise her supporters six days ahead of France's most unpredictable presidential election in decades by pledging to suspend all immigration and protect voters from globalisation.
Opinion polls have for months shown Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron qualifying on Sunday for the May 7 run-off, but the gap with conservative Francois Fillon and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon has been tightening.
"I will protect you. My first measure as president will be to reinstate France's borders," Le Pen said to wide applause and cheers from the crowd of about 5,000, prompting the National Front's (FN) traditional "This is our home!" chant.
Slamming her rivals, she said hers was the camp of patriots. "The choice on Sunday is simple," she said. "It is a choice between a France that is rising again and a France that is sinking."
While no polls have shown Le Pen missing out on the run-off, they are now within the margin of error and any two of the four top candidates has a shot at qualifying. Polls have consistently shown her losing that second round.
Scuffles briefly broke out between 60 to 80 anti-FN protesters and police near the Zenith concert hall in Paris before the rally.
Police fired teargas at the protesters, some of whom threw objects at police. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
