Thousands gather to celebrate death of French far-right figure

Thousands of protesters gathered in Paris to celebrate the death of French far-right figure Jean-Marie Le Pen. 

Demonstrators were seen setting off fireworks and chanting slogans in the capital’s Place de la République on Tuesday. Some brandished placards including “The dirty racist is dead” and “A beautiful day.”  

Earlier that day, Le Pen, the founder of France’s right-wing National Front party, died at the age of 96.  

Le Pen was a polarising figure in France and was convicted multiple times of antisemitism, discrimination and inciting racial violence.  

Similar gatherings took place in other French cities, including Lyon and Marseille. Seven people were arrested in Lyon after bins were burned and projectiles thrown at police at a demonstration called on by the hard-left. 

Senior French officials slammed the “shameful” street celebrations. “Nothing, absolutely nothing justifies dancing on a corpse,” said Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. 

By contrast, left-wing France Unbowed politician Mathilde Panot saw what she called the “spirit of Charlie” in action. Le Pen’s death coincided with the 10th anniversary of a fatal shooting at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper by Islamist militants.  

A family funeral for Le Pen is to be held on Saturday in his home town in Brittany. In her first public reaction, his daughter Marine Le Pen called him a “warrior” and said many people were mourning him.