Wire flash
Orleans braces for 20,000-30,000-strong anti-racism protest as RN holds congress
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Orléans is preparing for large-scale mobilizations around the Rassemblement national (RN) congress on Saturday, October 24. Between 20,000 and 30,000 opponents are expected in the city center for a transpartisan demonstration against racism, fascism, and imperialism, while nearly 15,000 RN supporters gather at the Zénith for the party congress and the official launch of Marine Le Pen's presidential campaign. Prefecture estimates put the protest crowd at up to 30,000. Several political figures are expected to join the march, including Socialist Party first secretary Olivier Faure and Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko. Many shops will be closed and transport halted as the city is placed under tight security, with wooden panels protecting storefronts and café terraces folded away to prevent them being used as projectiles.
Source report
Photo: The tourist office protected by wooden panels on Place du Martroi in Orléans (Loiret), October 23, 2026. ADRIENNE SURPRENANT/MYOP FOR "LE MONDE"
Jigsaws cutting through particle board to protect storefronts are delivering a discreet concert through the streets of Orléans. The terraces of the brasseries on Place du Martroi, the city's nerve center, were hastily folded away in the afternoon at the municipality's request to prevent them from becoming projectiles, while red-backed posters declaring "exceptional security measures," issued by metropolitan services, have been plastered in numerous locations along the commercial thoroughfares.
This Friday, on the eve of a weekend in which the regional capital is preparing to become the epicenter of large-scale mobilizations—between National Rally (RN) activists and opponents—life has not yet come to a halt. Pressure is nonetheless expected to rise several notches throughout the weekend. Nearly 15,000 RN supporters are expected over two days at the Zénith d'Orléans, where the party's congress and the official launch of Marine Le Pen's presidential campaign are to be held. And up to 30,000 people, according to prefecture estimates, could swell the ranks of a cross-party demonstration in the city center against "racism, fascism and imperialism" on Saturday morning. Several political figures are expected to attend, including Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the Socialist Party, and Bally Bagayoko, the "France Unbowed" mayor of Saint-Denis.
You have 75.71% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
Source
Politique : Toute l’actualité sur Le Monde.fr.Western
Part of this Story
Orléans Deploys 3,000 Officers as RN Congress Draws 20,000-30,000 Opponents