Protesters rally in France against Barnier’s appointment as prime minister

A demonstrator holds a placard which reads ‘Macron treason resignation’ during a protest in Paris on Saturday at Michel Barnier’s appointment as prime minister (Michel Euler/AP)

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, responding to a call from a far-left party leader who criticised as a power grab the president’s appointment of a conservative new prime minister, Michel Barnier.

The protests are a direct challenge to President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to bypass a prime minister from the far-left bloc following a deeply dividing legislative election in July.