Le Pen supporters set to hold rally in Paris

A rally organized by the French right-populist party National Rally will take place in Paris in support of its representative Marine Le Pen, who was banned from participating in the elections by a court.

National Rally announced the protests following the verdict, with right-wing supporters calling on Parisians to take part in a "popular and peaceful mobilization," Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The rally is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM local time at Place Vauban, near the Esplanade des Invalides, and is expected to last about an hour and a half.

Paris Prefect Laurent Nunez stated that National Rally has committed to screening activists, and that police forces will be reinforced to ensure security. At the same time as Le Pen's rally, left-wing parties in France will also organize their own protest in Paris — this one aimed against Le Pen's right-wing supporters.

​Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN) party, has been convicted of embezzlement related to the misuse of European Union funds intended for parliamentary assistants. The court sentenced her to four years in prison, with two years suspended and the remaining two to be served under house arrest. Additionally, she faces a five-year ban from public office, effectively barring her from running in the 2027 presidential election unless she successfully appeals. ​

The case, known as the "National Front assistants affair," involved allegations that Le Pen and other RN members diverted over €4.1 million in EU funds between 2004 and 2016. These funds were allegedly used to pay party staff in France rather than for legitimate parliamentary assistance. Le Pen maintains her innocence, arguing that the allegations misinterpret the role of parliamentary assistants.

By Khagan Isayev