Report warns of election violence

PARIS — Riots could break out in cities across France after results are announced of the first round of the presidential election, intelligence services have warned, as the most unpredictable vote in decades goes ahead amid a heightened terror alert.

Trouble is almost certain if Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, and Jean-Luc-Melenchon, her far-left counterpart, are the two candidates who make it through to the second and final round on May 7, according to a report by intelligence services.

The confidential document, leaked to Le Parisien newspaper, said that at the top of the list of potential security problems as millions of people cast their ballots was the “jihadist threat.”

The report came just two days after a French jihadist claiming allegiance to ISIL shot dead a police officer on the Champs Elysees in Paris, bringing election campaigning to an early end and thrusting security issues back to the top of the political agenda.

Around 50,000 police officers and 7,000 soldiers are being deployed to protect voters across France today for the first round of the election, which has turned into a four-way race between Le Pen, Melenchon, Emmanuel Macron, the maverick centrist, and Francois Fillon, the scandal-scarred conservative.

An opinion poll on Thursday and Friday showed Le Pen and Macron tied on 23 per cent, ahead of Melenchon with 19.5 per cent, and Fillon with 19 per cent.

But due to the margin of error pollsters factor in, there is no safe bet as to which two will make it to the second round of what has so far been the most unpredictable French presidential election in decades.

The French intelligence report leaked to Le Parisien said that spontaneous demonstrations — which might turn violent — could be held after the results are announced.

The report spoke of “public disturbances in the case of the presence (in the second round) of parties which are said to be extremist,” a reference to Le Pen and Melenchon.

“In this case, protests are almost certainly to be expected,” it said.

The document warned of farmers, hospital staff and students taking to the streets to protest at the results.