Massive protests unfolded in France on Wednesday, where demonstrators disrupted traffic, burnt down trash bins, and clashed with the police in anger at the political class and planned budget cuts.
The protests
were named the ‘Block Everything’ movement, a broad expression of discontent with no centralised leadership and an ad hoc organisation by social media. It initially sprang up in May among right-wing groups, but has since been taken over by the left and far-left, according to Reuters.
According to the Associated Press, nearly 200 people were arrested in the first hours of the planned day of nationwide protests.
Security forces were deployed across the country to clear blockades.
Multiple videos on social media showed chaos on the streets as police officers clashed with the demonstrators.
🚨BREAKING: Civil unrest ERUPTS across France as protesters flood the streets, causing widespread disruption.
Their goal: cripple the economy and get Macron out.
The French Revolution has begun. pic.twitter.com/k7ml77n4eU
— The British Patriot (@TheBritLad) September 10, 2025
Videos also showed protesters torching vehicles on the road.
🇫🇷 Radical far-left extremists launch major riots across France. pic.twitter.com/7ocG4R2pLB
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 10, 2025
The demonstrations took place at a time of political turmoil, two days after the country’s Parliament ousted Prime Minister FrancoisBayrou in a confidence vote over his plans to tame the country’s ballooning debt.
On Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron appointed his fifth Prime Minister in less than two years, choosing a close ally, Sebastien Lecornu, a move that outraged left-wing politicians.
In the western city of Nantes, protesters blocked a highway with burning tires and bins. Police used teargas to disperse people trying to occupy a roundabout in the same city.
In Montpellier, in the southwest, police scuffled with protesters who had set up a barricade to block traffic at a roundabout.
Police used teargas to disperse the protesters, some of whom threw various objects at them.
Reuters said the ‘Block Everything’ movement reflects popular discontent with what protesters deem a dysfunctional ruling elite preaching a painful gospel of austerity.
It is drawing comparisons to the 2018 ‘Yellow Vest’ protests, which initially arose over fuel price hikes but morphed into a broader movement against Macron and his plans for economic reform.
About 50 hooded people tried to start a blockade in Bordeaux, while in Toulouse, in the southwest, a fire was quickly extinguished but still disrupted train traffic, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told reporters early on Wednesday.
He said 80,000 security forces had been deployed throughout the country, including 6,000 in Paris.
French media had reported that one lakh people were expected to take part in the demonstrations.
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