An estimated 15'000 people have taken to the streets of the French Polynesian capital, Papeete, in support of a call for fresh general election.
In the biggest rally ever in Papeete, the crowd has heeded a call by President Oscar Temaru who says mafia methods were used to oust his 15-week old government in a no confidence vote last week.
He wants the French president to dissolve the assembly and hold fresh elections but in the past week, France has ruled this out twice.
Rallies in support of Mr Temaru's call to stop the return of the veteran leader, Gaston Flosse, are also being held in the outer islands, such as the Marquesas and on Rangiroa.
The demonstrations come amid a controversy surrounding the validity of the no confidence motion and amid uncertainty on when the territorial assembly is to meet again for it to choose a new president.
Mr Flosse, whose group secured a one-seat majority in last week's assembly sitting, says the demonstration is akin to a popular uprising, a provocation of riots and an anti-democratic march.
