"Block Everything" Protests Rock France: Violence, 300+ Arrests, 80,000 Police Deployed

Morning protests in France as thousands hit the streets today under #BlockEverything 🚧🇫🇷 Citizens rally against President Macron’s policies, demanding change. Some hadn’t even had their coffee—yet the passion is real! #FranceProtests #CivilUnrest pic.twitter.com/xJ4ZAqM9A8

— ceanpolitics (@ceanglobal) September 10, 2025

 Mass protests erupt across France against austerity plans, with highways blocked, buses torched, and hundreds detained.

.Paris, September : France experienced widespread "Block Everything" protests on Thursday, characterized by highway blockades, burning barricades, and sporadic confrontations with riot police. Authorities mobilized nearly 80,000 police officers and gendarmes, while approximately 200,000 individuals participated nationwide, as per figures from the Interior Ministry. 

What Happened

Protesters disrupted traffic by blocking highways and lighting fires. In Rennes, a bus was set ablaze. Damage to power lines in the southwest caused train delays, officials confirmed. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons in some cities to clear barricades.Initial tallies reported 200–300 arrests, later revised to several hundred, including more than 200 in Paris alone. Interior officials stressed that large-scale deployment was necessary to keep roads open and prevent escalation.

Police Deployment: Approximately 80,000 police and gendarmes were mobilized across the country.

Participants: Interior Ministry figures reported around 197,000–200,000 participants, while union counts were closer to 250,000.

Arrests: Initial reports of around 200–300 detentions were updated to over 450 arrests nationwide, including over 200 in Paris alone.

Why They’re Protesting

Austerity & Budget Cuts: The movement expresses discontent regarding suggested austerity policies, which involve freezing pensions and eliminating public holidays, with the goal of decreasing France's deficit and debt. Political Instability: The demonstrations occurred during a time of significant political upheaval. Prime Minister François Bayrou's government was ousted following a failed confidence vote, and the selection of Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister on the same day as the protests intensified public dissatisfaction.

the protests caused significant disruption and violence in various hotspots, claims of a total nationwide paralysis were overstated. The exceptional police presence managed to contain many actions and prevent the country from fully "grinding to a halt.