Left revives spirit of the Bastille

Tens of thousands of supporters of French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon marched on the Bastille yesterday, bringing a revolutionary battle cry to an election campaign in which the hard left is damaging Socialist favourite François Hollande’s chances.

Mr Melenchon’s Left Front, a coalition of radical left parties including the Communists, has been rising in the polls in recent weeks ahead of an April-May presidential election, eroding Mr Hollande’s voter base and pushing the mainstream Socialist into more radical territory.

Spokesmen for the Left Front said some 120,000 people had joined the march to hear Mr Melenchon’s call for a citizens’ revolution, brandishing banners proclaiming a popular “thirst for justice”.

“Spirit of the Bastille, we are back, the people of France’s revolutions and rebellions,” Mr Melenchon said before a crowd of cheering supporters, spilling into the surrounding streets.