After Nepal, now France is burning in anti-government protests as angry demonstrators set vehicles on fire, blocked roads and trains in Paris and other cities on Wednesday, September 10. Reports and videos shared on social media show people clashing with cops, resulting in the arrest of over 200 protestors in the first hours.
This comes after public anger against President Emmanuel Macron and his government turned into a violent march under the banner of the "Block Everything" movement. In Paris, police fired tear gas to disperse a violent crowd of demonstrators who set police barricades on fire.
According to the French interior minister Bruno Retailleau, a bus was set on fire in Rennes and the train services in the southwest of the country were disrupted after a power line was broken by a group of agitators. He accused protesters of trying to create "a climate of insurrection."
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The Emmanuel Macron-led French government deployed heavy security across the nation to prevent large-scale destruction like Nepal, where the parliament building, the Prime Minister's and President's official residences were vandalised.
Videos shared on X show dust bins were set on fire in Paris, while vehicles, mostly four-wheelers, were seen stranded on the main highway as commuters were seen in a long queue. According to the authorities, at least 75 people were detained till 9 am on Wednesday. By afternoon, police confirmed nearly 200 detentions nationwide.
Reason for Protest
The "Block Everything" movement has paralysed train and road traffic in France at major flashpoints, coming days after political upheaval following Prime Minister François Bayrou's loss of a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday. Bayrou, who had announced sweeping austerity measures including cutting public holidays and freezing pensions, resigned shortly after the defeat.
On Tuesday, Macron replaced Bayrou with Sébastien Lecornu, his loyal defence minister in the cabinet, as the new Prime Minister of France, which is also the fourth PM in just 12 months. The back-to-back changes at the top position show political instability in the country amid the Russia-Ukraine war, which filled many people with insecurity, who also accuse Macron of ignoring widespread discontent.
Unions and protest organisers argued that Bayrou’s resignation did not change their grievances. “The fall of the government is good, but it's insufficient,” rail union Sud-Rail posted on social media platform X.
"Block Everything" Movement
The "Block Everything" or "Bloquons Tout" movement was started in the summer this year and gained momentum online through a Chinese short video sharing TikTok application, X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms among the young crowd. Its calls for strikes, boycotts and street protests resonated with workers, students and activists who felt Macron’s policies deepened inequality.
The "Block Everything" movement has no central leadership, which analysts say makes it unpredictable, but also harder to suppress. Authorities fear its decentralised nature can turn the country's situation like Nepal, which has turned into flash violence and clashes with police and security forces, resulting in deaths and property damage.