This Saturday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the La France insoumise movement, and Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF), held separate meetings at the Fête de l'Huma, an annual event organized by the newspaper L'Humanité. The two meetings took place with only a few minutes between their speeches. According to La France insoumise, the event was a "formidable demonstration of strength," with Mélenchon addressing an enthusiastic crowd of several thousand people. He praised the support from "the people of L'Humanité," noting that the turnout far exceeded that of his own movement's previous events. The afternoon at the Fête de l'Huma featured a subtle rivalry between Mélenchon and Roussel. While Mélenchon's gathering appeared to draw more attention, Roussel's meeting, which included the presence of activist Angela Davis, also attracted a large audience. The tension began earlier in the day, as Mélenchon's appearance on Friday at the event drew a significantly larger crowd than Roussel's earlier debate with Patrick Martin, president of the French employers' federation Medef. Mélenchon highlighted the success of his movement in traditionally communist areas, pointing to the high number of attendees at his event. Mélenchon did not speak on the main stage of the Fête de l'Huma, a position reserved for Roussel. Instead, Mélenchon addressed his audience at 4:10 p.m. on the stand of his movement, which was more difficult to locate due to the event's complex layout. To attract attendees, La France insoumise militants had distributed leaflets earlier in the day, encouraging people to come to Mélenchon's meeting. Many attendees wore jerseys bearing the number 27 in the colors of the French national team, a visual symbol of support for Mélenchon. Some attendees expressed surprise at this, and a communist militant declined an invitation to attend the meeting, citing orders not to engage with other left-wing groups. Despite this, a communist militant acknowledged that Mélenchon's meeting would likely draw more people than Roussel's, noting the politicized nature of the audience at the Fête de l'Huma. The crowd was described as highly receptive to La France insoumise ideas, with Mélenchon being seen as the leading left-wing candidate. The militant also suggested that the PCF's target audience, such as those who typically abstain from voting, may not have been present in large numbers at the event. Mélenchon's meeting drew a large crowd, with access to his tent becoming difficult thirty minutes before his speech. Under the tent, militants sang slogans such as "Siamo tutti antifascisti" and "No, Roussel is not a comrade!" Mélenchon criticized Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, for her recent comments on his proposal to cancel part of France's debt. He stated that 2027 was an opportunity to "do a big cleanup, let them all go." Roussel spoke to a large, though less densely packed, crowd. He addressed the audience on topics he had emphasized the previous day, focusing on the need to convince employees and people who typically do not vote. He urged the crowd to "put aside the small merchants who count the polls and the candidates" and focus on the goal of persuading people in 2027. François, wearing a red shirt from Roussel's campaign, emphasized that the event was about the proposals of the communist candidate rather than a contest between left-wing forces. Alexis Corbière, a former member of La France insoumise, warned against excessive optimism, noting that the goal was to convince the entire country, not just win applause at the Fête de l'Huma.