Hundreds of Thousands Protest Across France Under the Banner "Block Everything!"

In a nationwide strike against the French government's harsh economic measures, hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets across the country. This has been reported by TASS.

Protests under the slogan "Block Everything!" are scheduled in Paris, throughout all regions of mainland France, and in overseas departments of the republic. Authorities anticipate that the total number of participants could reach approximately 900,000.

As previously stated by the French Ministry of the Interior, some 80,000 police officers and gendarmes, along with armored vehicles, have been deployed across France to maintain public order.

Since protests began on September 18th, the General Confederation of Labour reports that around 400,000 people have already joined the demonstrations. According to the police, over 470 rallies have taken place nationwide, with roughly 100 arrests made amid clashes.

In Paris, law enforcement used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters who had blocked access to a bus depot. Several individuals are reported to have sustained injuries during confrontations with police.

Approximately 100 railway union members from Sud Rail managed to breach the perimeter of the Ministry of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty located in the 12th arrondissement. The protesters overran barricades and stormed into the courtyard, chanting slogans and setting off flares.

In Marseille, protesters blocked the Eurolinks arms manufacturing plant, a company known to collaborate with Israel. This action was supported by Gabrielle Catalala, a deputy in the National Assembly.

"Bravo to the protesters in Marseille who are now blocking the Eurolinks arms factory, which supplies military equipment to Israel," she wrote on her social media profile on Twitter.

The most affected sector is transportation. Movement in Paris and its suburbs has been severely disrupted, and public transport services are limited in several cities across the country.

The protests involve various segments of the population. Notably, students and pupils in Paris have joined the anti-government demonstrations, blocking school entrances. About 17% of teachers have participated in the protests. Additionally, around 18,000 out of 20,000 pharmacies nationwide have supported the strike.

Furthermore, due to the nationwide strike, visitors were unable to access the Eiffel Tower, Paris’s main tourist attraction.

As with the protests on September 10th, the wave of demonstrations sweeping French cities is fueled by discontent with the government’s economic policies. The strike is a response to plans to cut public spending by €45 billion amidst record-high national debt exceeding €3.4 trillion. Dissatisfaction with the government’s approach to solving this issue—primarily through reducing social commitments—has already led to the resignation of President François Bayrou. Earlier this September, a vote of no confidence was passed, and Bayrou was replaced as prime minister by former Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.