France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced on Sunday that she would peacefully fight a five-year ban on running in the election, drawing inspiration from US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., as thousands gathered in Paris to rally in her support.
Last week, a Paris court found Ms Le Pen and around 20 members of her National Rally (RN) party guilty of defrauding European funds and handed down a sentence that bars her from running in France's 2027 presidential election unless she can reverse the decision within 18 months.
“We will follow the example of Martin Luther King,” Ms Le Pen said in a video message to Italian Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration League party, which was meeting in Florence.
“Our struggle will be peaceful and democratic. We will follow the example of Martin Luther King, who defended civil rights.”
Le Pen supporters waved French flags and chanted “We will win” as they gathered in central Paris on Sunday afternoon in a peaceful protest that could show how widespread her accusations are that prosecutors sought her “political death”.
79-year-old pensioner Marie-Claude Bonnefon expressed her dissatisfaction with “this parody of a decision taken regarding Le Pen.”
“There is serious doubt about the impartiality of the judges,” another protester, political science student Tiphaine Kere, told Reuters.
Police have not yet provided exact data on the number of participants in Sunday's rally, but organizers say about 15,000 people attended.
Le Pen still in lead, polls show
The ruling was a major blow to Ms Le Pen, 56. The National Rally leader is one of the most prominent figures on Europe's far right and is leading the polls for France's 2027 election.
Ms Le Pen has appealed the court's decision and vowed on Sunday to use all available means and legal instruments to be able to run in the 2027 elections.
The court announced that the decision on the appeal will be made in the summer of 2026.
An Elabe opinion poll on Saturday showed Ms Le Pen still the favourite to win the first round of the presidential election, with 32 to 36 percent of the vote, ahead of former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who has 20.5 to 24 percent.
However, Ms Le Pen and her supporters' criticism of the “tyranny of judges” has not gained traction even among some of her supporters, especially after the chief judge in her case was placed under police protection amid death threats.
French 'not surprised' by court ruling
Most French people have no problem with the court's decision.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
