Police, demonstrators in violent clash in Paris May 1 march

FRANCE’S already ugly presidential election just got even worse, with a traditional march descending into scenes of violent chaos on the streets of Paris.

Demonstrators confront police on the annual May Day worker’s march in Paris, France where officers dealt with violent scenes during the rally held close to the Place de la Bastille. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

PROTESTS turned violent and a police officer was engulfed in flames after traditional May 1 union marches turned ugly on the streets of Paris.

At least six police officers were injured in the march, with presidential election frontrunner Emmanuel Macron attacking far-right rival Marine Le Pen, highlighting the divisions six days before the run-off.

Police were injured in the clashes as officers clashed with masked youths throwing molotov cocktails and riot officers responded with teargas.

One riot police officer was completely engulfed in flames.

Interior Minister Matthias Fekl condemned the violence and said one officer was seriously burned on the hand while another had serious burns to the face, without saying which was the officer in the photograph.

French CRS anti-riot police officers are engulfed in flames as they face protesters during a march for the annual May Day workers' rally in Paris on May 1, 2017. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Zakaria ABDELKAFI

Demonstrators and police clash during ugly scenes in Paris. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Reacting to the scenes, far-right presidential candidate Le Pen tweeted: “This is the sort of mess ... that I no longer want to see on our streets.”

In a feisty speech, Macron told thousands of his supporters he would defend “free democracy” if voters choose him on Sunday after Le Pen had urged voters to reject “the world of finance, of arrogance, of money as king” she said her opponent embodied.

The traditional union-led marches underlined the conspicuous absence of the united front shown in 2002 when Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie shocked the country by reaching the run-off.

On this day 15 years ago, some 1.3 million people, including 400,000 in Paris, took to the streets of France in union-led demonstrations to protest against the founder of the National Front (FN).

Police were injured after the march took a violent turn. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

That show of force, coupled with a political closing of ranks, helped the centre-right’s Jacques Chirac inflict a crushing defeat on Le Pen senior.

This time, with left-wing candidates eliminated in the first round, the left is deeply divided over the choice between Le Pen’s 48-year-old daughter and Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker.

In Paris’s Place de la Republique, 28-year-old teacher Camille Delaye held a placard that read: “Abstention is a political act” -- meaning he is so disgusted by both candidates, he will not vote on Sunday.

But Nastassja Naguszewski, 28, who works in local government, said: “You have to put Le Pen as low as possible. One of them is a candidate who will uphold republican values and one is not.” - ‘Le Pen is anti-workers’.

Protesters shouted “fascists out!” as the riot police were called in. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Two unions, the CFDT and Unsa, have called for their members to back Macron. But while three other more left-wing unions including the biggest, the CGT, have called for demonstrations against Le Pen’s vision of French identity, they have stopped short of backing Macron whose economically liberal outlook worries many members.

Some militants have formed a movement they have called “Social Front” to block both candidates.

CGT leader Philippe Martinez said he “deeply disagreed” with that approach, arguing that Le Pen and Macron “are not the same thing”.

“The National Front is a racist, xenophobic party that is anti-women and anti-workers because it is also an economically liberal party,” he said.

The traditional May 1 march took an ugly turn after demonstrators and police clashed. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Le Pen hit back that the unions “are not defending workers’ interests, they are looking after their own interests”.

Macron is currently favourite to become France’s youngest ever president, leading Le Pen by 19 points in the polls, but she has shown she is an effective campaigner.

Speaking at a convention centre in northern Paris, Macron, however, said Le Pen “had fed off worry and hate for years”.

‘MORE THAN POLITICS’

He said he was aware that “many people will vote for me to avoid having the National Front”.

“I say to them that I am completely aware that on May 7, I will be doing more than defending a political program — I will be leading the fight for the republic and for a free democracy,” he said to roars of approval from supporters.

Le Pen took her campaign to the working-class Paris suburb of Villepinte where the first speaker was Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, a Eurosceptic from outside the FN who Le Pen has said will be her prime minister if she wins on Sunday.

She is hoping to capture some of the 1.7 million votes he won in the first round, although his support for Le Pen has divided his own party.

“It’s a choice between France and finance,” Dupont-Aignan said in a jibe at Macron.

One Le Pen supporter, Pierre-Antoine De la Gorse, 45, who organises art exhibitions, said he was supporting her because Macron was part of the elite.

“It’s not just him, it’s the system, it’s all those who support it,” he said.