Three concurrent political rallies dominated French media as Marine Le Pen staged a demonstration at Place Vauban following her court conviction for misuse of public funds. The National Rally portrayed her as victim of a "witch hunt," with Le Pen controversially invoking Martin Luther King while vowing to "not give up." Jordan Bardella called her conviction "a direct attack on democracy."
Multiple outlets noted the RN gathering's disappointing attendance. Simultaneously, Prime Minister Attal led a Renaissance party meeting where he accused the far-right of "attacking judges," while left-wing parties organized a counter-demonstration at Place de la République.
International coverage focused on mass protests across the United States against Trump administration policies and recently announced tariffs, which continued to disrupt global markets. A French-Algerian diplomatic thaw progressed as Foreign Minister Barrot visited Algeria to restart bilateral relations after months of tension.
