Overview
- Paris authorities managed a route from Stalingrad to Place de la République with parking and traffic bans and a 3 p.m. closure of the République metro station, while the far‑right Némésis group was confined to a static gathering in the 16th arrondissement.
- Gisèle Pelicot and her daughter Caroline Darian joined the Paris march and addressed participants, drawing strong applause as the procession set off in the afternoon.
- Organizers pressed concrete demands that included better access to healthcare and abortion services, expanded mental‑health resources, and income increases under the banner “Nos corps ne sont pas des champs de bataille.”
- Speakers and groups framed the day as politically urgent ahead of municipal elections, citing persistent pay gaps, barriers to abortion access, and what they call threats to hard‑won rights from the far right.
- Parallel demonstrations drew thousands across Spain, where two separate Madrid marches highlighted divisions on transgender rights and prostitution policy and featured anti‑war messaging and the presence of cabinet ministers.