A sigh of relief swept the big French cities, where a busy night was expected. At 4pm on Sunday afternoon, a dozen police trucks were already parked in the Place de la Republique in Paris, waiting for night to fall and the crowds to arrive. In Rennes, any demonstrations were prohibited. Around 67% of the population went to the polls to vote, a record since 1997.
Seeing the Place de la Republique in Paris, nothing suggested that this would be a historic day. During the afternoon, several people rested around the imposing statue of Marianne, tattooed in graffiti from head to toe with political slogans. In one corner, a small demonstration that had nothing to do with France almost went unnoticed, if it weren’t for the loudspeakers used by the participants. On the terrace located in the center of the square, people in the habit of drinking coffee as if it were nothing. After all, there are always demonstrations in Praça da República.
