Far-right leader Le Pen kicks off bid for French presidency amid nationwide protests

Marine Le Pen, the frontrunner in France's upcoming presidential elections, is set to launch her campaign on Sunday. The event will take place in Orleans, where she will address 10,000 supporters of her National Rally (RN) party. This comes just a day after nationwide protests, which saw over 400,000 people marching in major cities to voice their discontent over the rising cost of living.

These protests were marred by violent clashes, with thousands of masked youths breaking away from the demonstration to provoke police, resulting in over 1,000 arrests. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that ultra-left extremists were among those causing the most violence during the demonstrations. Le Pen's National Rally party has accused President Emmanuel Macron's centrist government of being soft on protesters and lacking authority.

If elected, Le Pen has pledged to address the cost of living crisis through capped household energy bills, reduced taxes, and reduced France's contribution to the EU. Her stance on issues such as NATO and France's support for Ukraine has also set her apart from other candidates. Polls suggest that Le Pen could secure between 32% and 34% of the vote in the first round of the election, with Jean-Luc Melenchon, a far-left rival, trailing at 17%.

Meanwhile, the RN party has pledged support for the police during these turbulent times, with Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's intended prime minister, visiting police stations to reinforce this stance.