Thousands protested across France on Saturday against President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of conservative Michel Barnier as prime minister.

Critics, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the France Unbowed party, view the appointment as undermining the will of voters from July’s divisive legislative elections.

Protesters, gathering in about 150 locations including Paris and Montauban, accused Macron of a “power grab” and denied democracy.

Barnier, who replaces the younger Gabriel Attal after Macron’s centrist government struggled in the snap elections, faces the challenge of stabilizing a fractured National Assembly, the Associated Press reported.

His appointment, marked by controversy including past opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, reflects Macron’s attempt to navigate a politically turbulent landscape.

Written by B.C. Begley