ALBAWABA- France was rocked by violent protests on Wednesday as demonstrators under the slogan “Block Everything” clashed with police across the country, setting buses ablaze, blocking highways, and disrupting rail services.
The unrest marked the first major test for newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, whose first day in office was overshadowed by nationwide turmoil.
Protesters, furious over President Emmanuel Macron’s austerity measures, proposed €44 billion in budget cuts, and wider economic policies, staged coordinated disruptions in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nantes, and dozens of smaller towns.
Crowds erected barricades, lit fires, and attempted to storm train stations, including Paris’s Gare du Nord, while cyclists swarmed roundabouts in Chambéry.
Authorities reported more than 300 arrests and deployed an unprecedented 80,000 police officers to contain the unrest.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed a bus was torched in Rennes, while in the southwest, fire damage to electrical cables halted one train line and disrupted another.
Protesters’ calls ranged from Macron’s resignation and higher taxes on the wealthy to demands for constitutional reform.
The “Block Everything” protests, fueled by months of online mobilization and youth-driven discontent, stopped short of paralyzing the country but nonetheless caused widespread disruption.
Analysts noted parallels with the Yellow Vest movement of 2018–2019, which shook Macron’s presidency during his first term.
The protests come amid deepening political instability. Just a day earlier, France’s government collapsed after Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly, forcing Macron to appoint Lecornu in a bid to restore order.
The collapse followed Macron’s controversial dissolution of parliament in June 2024 after far-right gains in European elections, leaving France on edge.
In his first address, Lecornu called for dialogue, but his message was drowned out by chants on the streets demanding systemic change.
For many, the protests symbolize a boiling over of frustration with elite corruption, economic hardship, and Macron’s refusal to call new elections despite growing political paralysis.
