French police arrested nearly 300 people Wednesday as “Block Everything” protests erupted nationwide following Prime Minister François Bayrou’s ouster, with demonstrators blocking roads, lighting fires, and clashing with security forces.
French police arrested hundreds of people on Wednesday as “Block Everything” demonstrations spread across the country, with protesters shutting down roads, setting fires, and clashing with authorities.
The interior ministry reported 295 arrests during the day of nationwide action against President Emmanuel Macron, budget cuts, and political upheaval. The protests followed Monday’s resignation of Prime Minister François Bayrou after losing a parliamentary confidence vote. He was replaced by Sébastien Lecornu.
“One prime minister has just been ousted and straight away we get another from the right,” student Baptiste Sagot, 21, told The Associated Press. “They’re trying to make working people, young students, retirees, all people in difficulty, bear all the effort instead of taxing wealth.”
Paris police detained 183 people by mid-afternoon as officers used tear gas to disperse crowds blocking the city’s beltway. Fires broke out in the Châtelet neighborhood, while in Rennes, protesters torched a bus, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said.
Roadblocks, traffic disruptions, and demonstrations extended nationwide, from Marseille in the south to Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Grenoble, and Lyon. Around 80,000 police officers were deployed. The movement, “Bloquons Tout,” had gained momentum over the summer on social media, calling for boycotts, strikes, and blockades amid France’s mounting debt, which now stands at 114% of GDP.
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