France witnessed widespread civil unrest on Wednesday as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets protesting the ouster of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and the government’s proposed budget cuts.
The protests, organized under the banner of the ‘Block Everything’ movement, led to clashes with police, road blockades, and property damage across multiple cities.
According to reports, nearly 200 people were arrested within hours of the protests beginning. Security forces deployed across the country struggled to contain the chaos, with incidents of burning barricades, torched vehicles, and disrupted train traffic reported in cities like Nantes, Montpellier, Bordeaux, and Toulouse.
The protests come just two days after Bayrou was removed in a confidence vote over his fiscal reform plans. President Emmanuel Macron appointed Sebastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister, his fifth in under two years — a move that has further inflamed public sentiment, especially among left-wing groups.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirmed the deployment of 80,000 security personnel nationwide, including 6,000 in Paris alone. The unrest is drawing comparisons to the 2018 Yellow Vest movement, reflecting deep-rooted frustration with what many see as a disconnected and austerity-driven ruling elite.
With tensions escalating, the French government faces mounting pressure to address public grievances and restore order.
