Violence scars pre-election May 1 marches in France

ON FIRE: Four hurt in clashes between police and masked youths

PARIS: France’s traditional May 1 union marches erupted into violence on Monday, highlighting the divisions six days before a crunch presidential election.

Four police officers were hurt in clashes in Paris between masked youths throwing molotov cocktails and riot police who responded with teargas.

One officer was engulfed in flames and unconfirmed reports said he had suffered serious burns.

Reacting to the scenes on Twitter, far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said: “This is the sort of mess... that I no longer want to see on our streets.”

The traditional May Day marches staged by France’s powerful labour unions provided a useful gauge of the country’s mood as it prepares to choose between Le Pen and centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron.

The protests underlined the conspicuous absence of the united front shown in 2002 when Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie shocked the country by reaching the run-off.

On this day 15 years ago, some 1.3 million people, including 400,000 in Paris, took to the streets of France in union-led demonstrations to protest against the founder of the National Front (FN).

That show of force, coupled with a political closing of ranks, helped centre-right Jacques Chirac inflict a crushing defeat on Le Pen senior.

This time, with the left-wing candidates eliminated in the first round, the left is deeply divided over the choice between Le Pen’s 48-yearold daughter and Macron, a 39-yearold former investment banker.

In Paris’s Place de la Republique, 28-year-old teacher Camille Delaye was holding a placard that read: “Abstention is a political act” — meaning he is so disgusted by both candidates, he will not vote on Sunday.

But Nastassja Naguszewski, 28, who works in local government, said: “You have to put Le Pen as low as possible.

One of them is a candidate who will uphold republican values and one is not.”

Two unions, the CFDT and Unsa, have called for their members to back Macron on Sunday.

— AFP French CRS anti-riot police officers are engulfed in flames as they face protesters during a march for the annual May Day workers’ rally in Paris.