A far-right presidential hopeful snatched by the neck at a street rally became the first victim of a surge in anti-immigrant violence that is sweeping French political protests.
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and her allies were hounded by protesters on Monday in Lyon, the second-largest city. The crowd repeatedly surged forward to grab Le Pen and smash her security truck with rocks.
She wrestled her security chief out of the way. One protester jerked her neck and held her there for about 10 seconds.
Her security chief then pulled her free, then rushed away.
Le Pen later told a party event that she felt scared and insulted as people chanted “LE PULCIDA” — a reference to her party’s UMP predecessor.
“I can’t remain silent in the face of that. I have to say to these people, you are fascists who don’t represent me,” she said.
Le Pen also denied that she disrespected French culture. “They don’t want to hear from patriots — you know who I’m talking about,” she said.
The candidate was returning home from a rally when the far-right activists attacked, according to her party.
Le Pen insisted she wasn’t afraid or threatened but welcomed the police intervention and said the attackers had been arrested.
Le Pen and her allies’ security chief was also arrested and charged with theft, destruction of public property and violence.
However, Le Pen and her allies failed to get back into the stadium where their rally was supposed to be held.
The head of Lyon’s police force said the police pushed the rioters away from the rally, but not to the stadium.
He said the far-right group didn’t explicitly say it wanted to break up the event, but security forces opened fire with tear gas and water cannons to protect demonstrators from the threats.
The French Interior Ministry says 13 people were injured in the melee, including one with a broken arm. Five protesters were arrested.
Le Pen, who is currently the leader of the far-right National Front party, is known for her tough anti-immigration stance.
The far-right has recently been at the center of political rallies throughout France, where anti-immigrant protesters have clashed with pro-European Union and European unity demonstrators.
The clashes have become commonplace in the weeks leading up to the first round of voting in French presidential elections in late April.
Le Pen has focused on building support and stirring up emotions in a bid to upset the more centrist and generally pro-Europe candidates.
The May runoff between far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, left-wing newcomer, is widely expected to be tight.
Some 6.7 million registered voters, or 33 percent of the electorate, have registered to vote in the primaries, with three more weeks of campaigning.
Macron would be the first independent French president to win the popular vote since Gen. Charles de Gaulle’s second term in the 1960s.
Macron, who could not be at the rally on Monday night, has tried to appeal to the far-right vote, saying during an address at the Bastille Day parade in Paris on Friday that he wants to defend French patriotism.