“Block Everything” Protests Rock France As New PM Takes Office
France is seeing a wave of protests on Wednesday as the “Bloquons Tout” (“Block Everything”) movement has mobilized thousands to hit the streets, targeting President Emmanuel Macron and sweeping budget cuts. Protesters blocked roads, burned rubbish bins, disrupted schools, and clashed with police in cities including Paris, Rennes, and Toulouse. Nearly 300 arrests were made, and 80,000 security personnel were deployed nationwide. A bus was torched in Rennes, and train services were disrupted due to fires and sabotage near Toulouse.
The unrest coincided with Sébastien Lecornu’s first day as prime minister, following the ousting of François Bayrou in a no-confidence vote earlier in the week. Lecornu, a close Macron ally, faces the same uphill task that brought down his predecessor—selling an unpopular austerity budget to a fractured parliament. Protesters like teacher Christophe Lalande called for “more funding for schools and hospitals” and demanded that “Bayrou’s policies must be eliminated.” Many see Lecornu’s appointment as more of the same. “It’s the same shit, it’s the same, it’s Macron who’s the problem, not the ministers,” said Fred, a union rep from CGT.
The “Block Everything” movement began online earlier this year and has evolved into a decentralized, mostly left-wing campaign calling for rent freezes, higher taxes on the wealthy, and Macron’s resignation. Demonstrators vented frustrations over what they see as elitist policies that disproportionately hit the working class.
While the movement has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Yellow Vest protests, it remains less coordinated for now. Still, tensions remain high with another, larger nationwide strike planned for September 18th, this time backed by all major trade unions. Lecornu, in his first speech, promised to approach the crisis with “sobriety and humility” and pledged to begin talks with unions and political parties immediately. Whether that will be enough to calm the streets remains to be seen.
