Far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday sought to mobilise her supporters six days ahead of France's most unpredictable presidential election in decades by pledging to suspend all immigration and shield voters from "savage 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, whom she said wanted "savage globalisation," 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 have a shot at qualifying. Polls have consistently shown her losing that second round.
With pollsters saying abstentions could hit record highs, convincing voters to go to the polling stations on Sunday is key. Le Pen sought to do so by hitting her party's trademark anti-EU, anti-immigration themes hard.
"Fight for victory, until the very last minute," she said. "If every patriot can this week convince just one abstentionist, just one undecided voter, we are sure to win!"
Getting the crowd to boo the European Union and its border-free Schengen area that she would take France out of if elected, Le Pen said: "Mass immigration is not an opportunity for France, it's a tragedy for France."
Promising to immediately impose a moratorium on immigration, she said: "The French sometimes have fewer rights than foreigners - even illegal ones."
SCUFFLES
Scuffles briefly broke out between 60 to 80 anti-FN protesters and police near the Zenith concert hall in north-east Paris ahead of the rally, a Reuters photographer said.
Police fired teargas at the protesters, some of whom threw chunks of wood. The protesters then left, followed by a small group of police.
During Le Pen's speech, one young woman jumped on the stage and was immediately carried away by security and a topless woman later shouted out from the middle of the concert hall in an apparent protest against the candidate.
FN lawmaker Gilbert Collard told reporters on arriving at the hall that he was hit in the neck by a beer bottle and that other objects were aimed at him before police intervened. Another FN official, Jean Messiha, said he saw a couple of Molotov cocktails being thrown. Reuters could not verify either comment.
A few hours earlier on the other side of Paris, Le Pen's most likely run-off opponent, Macron, addressed a crowd nearly four times larger in another concert hall and struck a starkly different, pro-European tone.
But Le Pen's supporters dismissed her opponent and his ideas.
"Macron is a pure marketing product," said 26 year-old Veronique Fornilli, an FN youth activist in the Paris region. "Only Le Pen can put France back in order," she said, also praising the FN leader for her anti-EU, anti-euro stance.
"I want to give France its freedom back, I want to take it out of jail," Le Pen said of her plans to pull the country out of the euro.
Reuters
Tue Apr 18 2017
!['I will protect you!' Le Pen tells voters ahead of presidential election 'I will protect you!' Le Pen tells voters ahead of presidential election](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2017-04/81492502462_MarineLePen.jpg)
Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) political party leader and candidate for French 2017 presidential election, attends a campaign rally in Paris, France, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
![Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721102997_SimposiumDronKeban.jpg)
Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi
Penggunaan dron membolehkan pemantauan pencemaran alam sekitar dan hidupan liar serta pencerobohan hutan dilaksanakan dengan lebih berkesan.
![Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721109015_bekaspengawalperib.jpg)
Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan
Bekas anggota polis wanita yang kini bekerja sebagai pengawal peribadi cedera setelah motosikal ditunggangnya melanggar sebuah SUV di lebuh raya PLUS.
![Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719996195_MKulasegaran.jpg)
Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran
RUU Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentangkan di Parlimen pada akhir tahun ini selepas cadangan ketetapan bagi penggubalan Akta Kebebasan Maklumat dibawa ke Jemaah Menteri untuk kelulusan.
![Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108438_azizi.jpg)
Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu
Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Azizi Mat Aris dilantik sebagai Ketua Polis Perak yang baharu hari ini.
![ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108165_ADUNRembiaPN.jpg)
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin
Menurut Takiyuddin, keahlian Muhamad Jailani yang juga wakil rakyat UMNO diterima pada 10 Jun tahun lalu, namun diumumkan secara rasmi hari ini.
Kita perlu belajar hidup dengan COVID-19 - Pakar
Itu kata Pakar Perubatan Kesihatan Awam, Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Dr Aznida Mohamad Zaki yang berkata pihaknya akan berusaha semampu mungkin dalam menggalakkan praktis kendiri dikalangan orang awam bagi mencegah penularan wabak seperti mana yang pernah dilakukan sebelum ini.
LHDN lulus 141,406 permohonan PKPS 2.0
Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) telah meluluskan sebanyak 141,406 permohonan program khas pengakuan sukarela (PKPS) 2.0 yang melibatkan 102,572 bilangan kes pembayar cukai individu, 27,707 bilangan kes syarikat dan selebihnya melibatkan lain kategori seperti pertubuhan.
![Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721017239_TBFADILLAH.jpg)
Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah
Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, tingkatkan liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah
![Warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah seleweng diesel Warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah seleweng diesel](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721103547_WargaThailandWitt.jpg)
Warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah seleweng diesel
Seorang warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Alor Setar atas pertuduhan menyeleweng 322 liter minyak diesel.
Lilitan reben putih tak langgar peraturan - Timbalan Speaker
Ramli berkata, perkara itu juga adalah merupakan keputusannya dan bukan dibuat oleh Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
![Presiden Perancis tolak peletakan jawatan PM 'buat masa ini' Presiden Perancis tolak peletakan jawatan PM 'buat masa ini'](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/61701500950_RussiaUkraineWarE.jpg)
Presiden Perancis tolak peletakan jawatan PM 'buat masa ini'
Emmanuel Macron meminta Gabriel Attal untuk terus memegang jawatannya "buat masa ini".
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/71709993909_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![PM Perancis serah peletakan jawatan pada Isnin PM Perancis serah peletakan jawatan pada Isnin](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41720396505_GabrielAttal.jpg)
PM Perancis serah peletakan jawatan pada Isnin
Gabriel Attal pada Ahad berkata beliau akan menyerahkan peletakan jawatannya kepada Presiden Emmanuel Macron pada pagi Isnin.
![Pusingan penentu pilihan raya Perancis bermula Pusingan penentu pilihan raya Perancis bermula](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51720343260_TBFranceElection.jpg)
Pusingan penentu pilihan raya Perancis bermula
Perancis kembali ke pusat pengundian pada Ahad bagi pusingan penentu pilihan raya Parlimen.
![National Rally dahului pilihan raya awal Perancis National Rally dahului pilihan raya awal Perancis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719787084_MarineLePen.jpg)
National Rally dahului pilihan raya awal Perancis
Le Pen dalam reaksinya sifatkan keputusan itu sebagai suara demokrasi dan mendakwa kem Presiden Emmanuel Macron tewas sepenuhnya.
![Majlis Perlembagaan Perancis lulus pilihan raya kilat Majlis Perlembagaan Perancis lulus pilihan raya kilat](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71718949922_France.jpg)
Majlis Perlembagaan Perancis lulus pilihan raya kilat
Tarikh akhir tidak melanggar perlembagaan dan tidak menjejaskan keseriusan pilihan raya, kata Majlis Perlembagaan.
![Sidang G7: PM Itali Meloni, Presiden Perancis Macron bertelagah Sidang G7: PM Itali Meloni, Presiden Perancis Macron bertelagah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71718424455_GiorgiaMeloniEmmanue.jpg)
Sidang G7: PM Itali Meloni, Presiden Perancis Macron bertelagah
Ketegangan memuncak antara Perdana Menteri Itali, Giorgia Meloni, dan Presiden Perancis, Emmanuel Macron, semasa sidang kemuncak G7 di Itali.
![Ketua parti The Republicans Perancis tolak pakatan dengan parti Macron Ketua parti The Republicans Perancis tolak pakatan dengan parti Macron](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/41718017239_EricCiotti.jpg)
Ketua parti The Republicans Perancis tolak pakatan dengan parti Macron
Ketua Parti The Republicans Perancis, Eric Ciotti, menolak kemungkinan untuk membentuk gabungan dengan Parti Renaissance yang dipimpin oleh Presiden Perancis Emmanuel Macron.
![Ketua sayap kanan Perancis sambut baik pembubaran Parlimen oleh Macron Ketua sayap kanan Perancis sambut baik pembubaran Parlimen oleh Macron](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/81717983455_tbMarineLePen.jpg)
Ketua sayap kanan Perancis sambut baik pembubaran Parlimen oleh Macron
Marine Le Pen pada Ahad menyambut baik pengumuman Presiden Emmanuel Macron bagi mengadakan pilihan raya.
![Presiden Perancis bubar Parlimen, beri laluan pilihan raya mengejut Presiden Perancis bubar Parlimen, beri laluan pilihan raya mengejut](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71717973990_tbEmmanuelMacron.jpg)
Presiden Perancis bubar Parlimen, beri laluan pilihan raya mengejut
Emanuel Macron membubarkan Parlimen selepas partinya mengalami kekalahan teruk dalam pilihan raya Parlimen Eropah.