Anti-Macron March Underway in Bayonne Amid G7 Summit in Neighboring Biarritz

BAYONNE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th August, 2019) A protest march against French President Emmanuel Macron has begun on Sunday in Bayonne, a city in the southwest of France, just a few miles from Biarritz, which is currently hosting the G7 summit, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

On Saturday, protests in Bayonne resulted in clashes with police, who had to use tear gas, water cannons and smoke grenades in response to provocations.

Today's action, in contrast, has been relatively calm, with protesters clapping their hands and not showing any aggressive behavior.

People are marching with Macron's portraits stolen from the city halls across the country. For months, activists, in violation of laws, had been taking the portraits out of municipal buildings. In total, they have managed to collect 128 official images of the president.

Along with the portraits, the demonstrators are carrying banners that say: "Macron - blah-blah-blah president," "Climate, Justice - Where is Macron?" and "Heads of State, Act Now: the Amazon is Burning.

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After a short "walk" across the city, several hundred activists gathered in a column to start a march. Nearly every third participant carries a wrapped portrait of Macron over their head. Many of the portraits that wrapped in paper read various slogans addressing the French authorities.

The crowd is also shouting out slogans calling for tackling global warming, imprisoning Interior Minister Christophe Castaner and expressing disagreement with the country's social policy.

The three-day G7 summit started in Biarritz on Saturday. Among main topics are the fight against inequality, advancement of universal access to social welfare and climate, an issue that has come to the forefront amid rainforest fires raging in Brazil.