On Sept. 10, 2025, demonstrators blocked roads, set fires and clashed with police across France to denounce planned budget cuts, as President Emmanuel Macron installed new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
What happened
Crowds using the slogan “Block Everything” disrupted traffic nationwide—especially in Paris, Lyon, Nantes and Marseille—erecting barricades and burning bins. Police used water cannons and tear gas to clear blockades. Authorities deployed roughly 80,000 officers; by midday Paris alone saw nearly 200 arrests, with “hundreds” detained nationwide.
Why now
The unrest follows weeks of anger over a multibillion-euro savings plan and the collapse of the previous government. Macron named Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister this week, a move critics cast as continuity for unpopular austerity.
How it compares
Analysts and officials likened the scale and tactics to the 2018–2019 Yellow Vests—decentralized, social-media-driven, and spread across multiple cities rather than one central march.
What’s next
Unions and opposition parties signal more actions as the government prepares its budget. Officials insist attempts to “shut down the country” have failed, but further disruptions remain likely.
