Police fired tear gas at rioting youths for overnight in Paris as over 100,000 people across France staged protests against the electoral success of Mr Jean-Marie Le Pen.
It was the second straight night of clashes in the French capital following Mr Le Pen's surprise electoral showing that saw him beat Socialist Prime Minister Mr Lionel Jospin and win through to next month's second-round run-off vote against incumbent Mr Jacques Chirac.
Around a thousand police officers were on hand in the late evening and sporadic incidents continued into the night. Eight people were arrested, police said.
One of the biggest protests was in the western city of Tours, where France's star anti-globalisation militant, Mr Jose Bove, told some 12,000 demonstrators during a two-hour march: "We must say no to Le Pen in the streets, every day".
Mr Bove said annual May Day celebrations would be marked this year by "the fight against fascism and expulsion".
Abroad, German Foreign Minister Mr Joschka Fischer called Mr Le Pen's showing in Sunday's first round presidential vote "alarming". China's state media described it as a "humiliation" for France.
In Britain - where the tabloid Sunnewspaper called the election results "France's day of shame" - British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair's spokesman told reporters: "We trust the French people to reject extremism of any kind".
AFP