Far-Right Zemmour Promises Supporters "Winning Back" France
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Controversial presidential candidate, Eric Zemmour, vows to regain France from immigrants if he wins the upcoming elections.
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Zemmour, 63, based his candidacy on anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Far right-wing French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour called Sunday on his supporters to "change the course of history" and move towards "recovering" France, during his first rally in Paris.
Addressing his supporters, who were around 15,000, Zemmour said that 15,000 have defied "political correctness, threats from the extreme left and media hatred."
Zemmour, 63, based his candidacy on anti-immigrant rhetoric, as he vowed to his supporters that "if I win it will be the start of winning back the most beautiful country in the world."
Watch | Will Eric Zemmour be the new French Donald Trump?#France #EricZemmour pic.twitter.com/MXyMEGxc6N
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 14, 2021
Convicted twice for inciting racial hatred, the controversial candidate claimed that the French want to remain the "masters in their country."
During his speech, Zemmour stressed the danger of French people being "replaced" by immigrants, echoing a theory known as the "great replacement" that is popular with white supremacists.
On Saturday, Zemmour's team unveiled the campaign's official slogan: "Impossible is not French", a quote attributed to Napoleon.
Brawl between Zemmour supporters and anti-fascists
Upon Zemmour's arrival, a brawl was reported to have broken out between security guards, members of the anti-racist SOS Racisme movement, and the candidate's supporters. The scuffle started after 12 SOS Racisme members had started chanting "No to racism."
NON AU RACISME
— SOS Racisme - #PanthéonDesOubliés (@SOS_Racisme) December 5, 2021
Nos militants étaients présents au meeting de #Zemmour à Villepinte pour dire non au racisme de manière pacifique. La vidéo, d'une violence inouïe, parle d'elle même, nos militants se sont fait frapper et insulter pour avoir rappelé notre lutte antiraciste!✊🏿✊🏾✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/5cvZadNGh8
French police said around 2,000 people -- 10,000 according to organizers -- marched to denounce Zemmour's campaign.
From a television critic to a presidential candidate, Zemmour has soared in opinion polls since the beginning of the year, surpassing right-wing Marine Le Pen, who reached the 2017's presidential election's second round and was defeated by current President Emmanuel Macron.
