French police dispersed election night crowds in Paris and Nantes with tear gas on Sunday evening, even though gatherings were largely peaceful across the country.
In the capital’s Place de la Republique, people had been chanting and marching with flairs but dispersed rapidly when riot police launched tear gas canisters at the edges of the gathering.
The same approached was used in the western city of Nantes, a flashpoint for left-wing activism, where police fired tear gas at demonstrators.
A left-wing alliance has become the biggest force in France’s parliament after tactical voting brought a shock win over the far-right National Rally.