Protesters clash with police in Paris as “Block Everything” demonstrations disrupt roads and spark fires across France (Image Credit: Reuters)
Paris and some French cities were swept by disorder on Wednesday as demonstrators barricaded streets, burned cars, and fought riot police, overshadowing Sebastien Lecornu's inaugural day as prime minister. The violence was triggered by resentment at President Emmanuel Macron's rule, budget cuts, and wider frustrations, and resulted in almost 300 arrests across the country.
Even with the government mobilizing a record 80,000 police, the protest known as "Bloquons Tout" (Block Everything) was able to cause broad disruption. From Rennes, where a bus was burned, to Lyon, Marseille, and Lille, traffic slowdowns and road blockades unsettled both large cities and small towns. In Paris, demonstrators tried to close the beltway at rush hour, threw objects at officers, and burned piles of trash. Police retaliated with rounds of tear gas.
The timing of the unrest could not have been worse for Macron. France has been in turmoil since Prime Minister Francois Bayrou was removed from office in a no-confidence vote last week. His replacement, Lecornu, inherits not only the challenge of dealing with economic troubles but also a population full of outrage.
The trigger for the Wednesday protests was Bayrou's unpopular plan to cut public expenditure by €44 billion, among which is the abolition of two public holidays, that provoked countrywide criticism. But the frustration goes deeper. Protesters bore placards making fun of Macron and rejecting Lecornu. Student organizations, trade unionists, and ordinary citizens expressed frustration at what they perceive as the government's reluctance to serve working-class people but shield the rich.
“We’re governed by robbers,” said nurse and union delegate Aglawen Vega, recalling the unresolved grievances of the 2018-2019 yellow vest protests. “Families are struggling to make ends meet. We’re becoming an impoverished nation.”
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What makes "Block Everything" more difficult to contain is that it is decentralized. Organized mainly on Telegram and other social media, the movement has no leader, and participants have come from right across the political spectrum. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau blamed far-left extremist groups for taking over the protests, but the outrage seems more general.
For Macron, the crisis is a ugly reminder of his precarious grip on power after losing his parliamentary majority last year. For Lecornu, it was a ceremony by fire. As one student protester briefly explained, "One prime minister is gone, and now we get another from the right. Nothing changes for us."
