Deadly Paris Attack Halts Campaigning Before French Election
- Lead candidates cancel events after Islamic State shooting
- Top two candidates on Sunday will go through to May 7 runoff
Paris Gunman Kills Policeman Three Days Before Election
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The murder of a policeman on the Champs-Elysees has forced an early end to campaigning for the leading candidates in France’s presidential election as they head into Sunday’s first-round of voting with the race wide open.
Republican Francois Fillon, the National Front’s Marine Le Pen, centrist Emmanuel Macron, and Socialist Benoit Hamon all canceled events planned for Friday and instead made televised statements about how they’d fight terrorism. Communist-backed Jean-Luc Melenchon said he wouldn’t cede to “panic” and will continue with his plans for the day. No campaigning is allowed on Saturday -- a French tradition of a quiet election eve.