Thousands of students in France held an anti-fascism march through Paris – to “save democracy” from the far-right, to protest the National Front (FN) party’s success in the European Parliament elections , and to apologize to Europe for the vote.  Gotta love the snark.

4,000 rallied in Paris, while smaller solidarity marches took place in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, and outside the European parliament in Strasbourg.  They shouted anti-right wing slogans and waved banners reading “No to the National Front”, and “Dear Europe, We Are Sorry”.

The FN is openly opposed to the Euro and wants to reinstate border controls and restrict immigration.  Critics say it’s also racist and intolerant of non-Christians. 

“Behind (FN’s) anti-EU rhetoric there is also a xenophobic speech, a speech of hate and of rejecting others, and that seems completely unlikely in today's world,” said University student Kevin Motillon in Paris.

“We respect the result of the European elections, of democracy, but we do not accept the values of the National Front,” said Silvio Philippe, one of the organizers of the rally in Lyon rally.  “French democracy is in danger.”

The FN won 24 of France’s 74 European Parliament seats in last weekend’s election.  It’s clearly far from a majority, but it was strong enough to send shock waves through the political establishment, which faired quite poorly.