In a powerful display of opposition, around 250,000 people took to the streets across France on Saturday, protesting against the far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen. With growing fears that Le Pen and her allies could secure a parliamentary majority in the upcoming legislative elections, demonstrators from Paris to Lyon to Marseille voiced their concerns through various forms of civil disobedience.

According to the Interior Ministry, an estimated 250,000 individuals participated in the protests, while union activists claimed the number to be as high as 640,000. The scale of the protest reflected the deep worry and determination among the French population to prevent a far-right victory in the parliamentary elections.

In Paris, protesters clashed with police in riot gear, where some individuals set a small fire as a symbol of defiance. In Marseille, demonstrators blocked roads and rail tracks to disrupt daily activities, while in Nantes, people wore masks and goggles to protect themselves from police tear gas. Throughout the country, signs and banners portrayed Le Pen and her party as dangerous, highlighting the urgency felt by the demonstrators.

Sophie Binet, a French labor union leader, expressed the profound concern of the protesters. "We are marching because we are extremely worried," she said. "There is a real risk of a far-right victory in upcoming parliamentary elections, and we want to prevent this disaster."

Reports suggested that several protesters were detained during the protests, and there were incidents of vandalism recorded on walls, according to Le Monde.

This mass protest comes as President Emmanuel Macron himself faces pushback against his policies, with previous "yellow vest" rallies exposing widespread dissatisfaction with social inequality. Macron's political bloc lost its majority in the National Assembly two years ago, making it challenging for the president to pass legislation. Despite his efforts to rally other parties against the far right, Macron's camp is currently lagging behind the National Rally in opinion polls.

A victory for the far right would not automatically remove Macron from power, as his term ends in 2027. However, it would grant the National Rally the authority to set the parliamentary agenda, potentially leading to Le Pen's protégé, Jordan Bardella, becoming prime minister. Both Bardella and Le Pen hold nationalist ideologies and maintain firm stances on immigration while being skeptical of the European Union.

Macron's attempts to build a broad coalition against the far right have encountered obstacles, with left-wing parties forging their own alliances and support from the right wavering. The conservative Républicains party, for instance, experienced internal strife when its leader, Éric Ciotti, publicly supported an alliance with the far right. In response, senior party members voted to oust Ciotti, but a court overturned the expulsion decision on Friday.

As the tension builds leading up to the parliamentary elections, it remains to be seen if Macron and other opposition parties can gather enough support to counter the rise of the far right in France. The outcome of these elections will undoubtedly shape the country's political landscape for years to come.