Large-scale demonstrations erupted across France on Wednesday as protesters sought to disrupt daily life and challenge President Emmanuel Macron’s administration, coinciding with the first full day in office of new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
The protests, organised under the banner “Bloquons Tout” (“Block Everything”), saw participants block roads, set fires and clash with police in Paris and other major cities. The movement, which began online earlier this year and gained momentum over the summer, had called for a day of nationwide disruption in opposition to government austerity measures and broader grievances over economic inequality.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed that nearly 200 arrests were made in the early hours of the mobilisation. He said that 80,000 police officers and gendarmes had been deployed nationwide in anticipation of unrest. Officers dismantled barricades, dispersed crowds with tear gas and made swift arrests in an effort to keep transport routes open.
In Paris, protesters attempted to block the city’s ring road during the morning rush hour, erecting makeshift barricades from rubbish bins and other debris. Fires were reported near the Châtelet district, prompting intervention from firefighters. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds in several locations, including Place de la Nation, where students and activists had blocked access to a secondary school with burning refuse containers.
Elsewhere, significant incidents were reported. In Rennes, a bus was set alight, while in the southwest, damage to an overhead power line halted train services on one route and disrupted traffic on another. In Lyon, protesters set bins ablaze, and in Marseille, police prevented around 200 people from barricading a main road.
The protests followed the removal of former Prime Minister François Bayrou in a parliamentary vote of no confidence earlier in the week. His successor, Mr Lecornu, was appointed on Tuesday, becoming Mr Macron’s fourth prime minister in 12 months. Demonstrators targeted both the president and the new head of government, accusing them of pursuing policies that favour the wealthy while cutting public services.
The “Block Everything” movement has no formal leadership or central organisation, with actions coordinated largely through social media and encrypted messaging platforms. Its decentralised nature has drawn comparisons to the “Yellow Vest” protests of 2018, which began over fuel tax increases and evolved into a broader anti-government movement.
While the government said the protests fell short of their stated aim to paralyse the country, the day saw widespread pockets of disruption. Retailleau accused some demonstrators of attempting to create “a climate of insurrection” and warned that authorities would show “zero tolerance” for violence.
Transport services were affected in several regions, though high-speed TGV trains and most Paris Metro lines continued to operate. Some flights were delayed, and local rail services experienced cancellations.
The protests are expected to add to political tensions as Mr Lecornu begins the task of forming his cabinet. Unions have already announced a separate nationwide strike for 18 September, raising the prospect of further unrest in the coming weeks.
Authorities have urged calm, but with public anger over austerity measures still simmering, Wednesday’s events suggest that the “Block Everything” movement may continue to pose a challenge to the government’s stability.
