Nearly 200,000 people took to the streets across France on Wednesday in mass demonstrations dubbed the “Block Everything” movement, With more than 800 protest actions nationwide. In Paris, police used tear gas as clashes erupted near schools, train stations, and shopping centers, with fires breaking out and air traffic disrupted at several airports.
The grassroots movement, born on social media, urged citizens to bring the country to a halt in opposition to the government’s controversial budget plan, which seeks to save billions to reduce France’s soaring public debt. 80,000 police officers and gendarmes, supported by drones and armored vehicles, had been deployed in one of the largest security operations in recent years. Critics accused the government of fueling an “insurrectional climate,” while eyewitnesses reported fires caused by police tear gas during confrontations.
The unrest comes as Macron appointed Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister, tasked with building a government capable of navigating France’s political and economic turmoil. Trade unions, meanwhile, have already announced another nationwide mobilization for Sept. 18, as the budget crisis threatens to deepen divisions within French society.
