News Desk

In the lead-up of France’s final round of elections, there have been an increasing amount of assaults on activists and candidates alike.

When government spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot, along with a deputy and a party activist, were putting up election poster in Meudon, they were violently assaulted by a group of teenagers. There have been many other instances of election campaigners getting attacked all across France, which reflects the state of politics in the far-right National Rally, currently the front-runner in the election.

Footage retrieved from a block of flats reveal the young assaulters ganging up on Candidate Thevenot, her deputy Virginie Lanlo and their party’s activist. Although the true motive for the assault is unclear, according to Thevenot’sstatement in Le Parisien website, she and her colleagues tried to stop the perpetrators from defacing their party’s posters. Shortly thereafter, they were met with violence from the youths, injuring both the activist and Deputy Lanlo, and also breaking their car’s windscreen.

The attackers, including three teenagers and on 20 year old adult man, were taken under arrest and were heavily criticized. Candidates from both parties spoke out, with both leaders giving statements aiming to battle this sort of violence.

It has been announced that 30,000 cops will be deployed on Sunday to prevent any further violence. French voters reached out by the BBC said they were afraid the youth reacting violently to the election results. One of RN’s most important priorities is Law and Order, also including immigration and tax cuts.

Previously, RN candidates had also been under attack, as Marie Dauchy was reportedly violently assaulted at a market in La Rochette near Grenoble, and an allied conservative candidate Nicolas Conquer was pelted with eggs along with another female colleague. Just last month, another RN candidate was taken to the hospital after being attacked while handing out pamphlets.