Chaos erupted in Paris amid the eagerly anticipated and feared street protests, dubbed "Bloquons tout" (let's block everything), which aim to bring the country to its knees like the days of the yellow vests.
Tensions erupted between police and protesters around the Gare du Nord, one of Paris's main train stations and a crucial hub for the country's rail system. Protesters dressed in black, in a black bloc style, wearing masks and balaclavas, were repelled by an impressive array of riot police. According to French authorities, officers foiled an attempted intrusion by a group of protesters into the station, who were dispersed by tear gas. During the protests, slogans such as "We are all anti-fascists" were also chanted in Italian.
Not just Paris: protests, with incidents and clashes between demonstrators and police, have been reported in several cities, according to French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. Retailleau added to the arrests "around fifty clearing actions" by law enforcement. Around 130 arrests were made in Paris and its surrounding areas, the local prefecture said. In the capital, police deployed tear gas in front of several high schools, which had already become protest hotspots. Clashes and burning bicycles were reported at Place de la Nation. Cars were set on fire and clashes between police and protesters occurred in Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, and Toulouse. Retailleau said, "The protest has nothing of the character of a civic protest. It has been distorted, hijacked, and confiscated by the far and far left."
All this while the country has once again entered a political crisis , with Prime Minister François Bayrou ousted by Parliament and President Emmanuel Macron – also in the face of the predicted demonstrations – hastily appointing his loyalist Sebastien Lecornu as head of government.
What is the "Bloquons tout" movement?
The "Bloquons tout" (let's block everything) movement originated on social media and has spread throughout civil society, left-wing parties, and even, to some extent, the unions, which were overtaken by the popular initiative. Social anger, anarchism, the far left, widespread discontent, all seasoned with an "anti-Macronism" now rampant in France: these are the elements of the new protest movement, which follows in the footsteps of the "indignados" of a few years ago, but with a rather uncontrollable tone that has ended up worrying the French authorities.
Minister Retailleau states that he "does not believe in large-scale movements," while estimating that with train and subway shutdowns, roadblocks, public sector protests, and grounded airplanes, there is a risk of "spectacular actions." French prefects have been put on alert, and Retailleau warned them to "act with the utmost firmness. Strategic sites or infrastructure essential to the country's life cannot be blocked."
The protest movement has been structured around the myth of a general strike, although the idea of "blocking everything" originated on the far right. Then, from TikTok to Telegram, it was absorbed by the more radical left, which turned it into a catchy slogan, especially among young people. Overtaken and surprised by the spontaneity of the new winning slogan, the political left—parties and unions—has caught up with the movement in recent weeks, and some groups have mobilized. However, they have postponed a more traditional "day of protest" for September 18th.
(Unioneonline/D)