Police Brutality in France: Authorities Crack Down on Protesters

Over 300 people have been detained, with 134 placed in custody — these are the results of police misconduct in France.

The French had organized a large-scale demonstration to remind authorities of the need to reconsider the anti-social budget. They also demanded an end to Paris’s participation in international conflicts through arms supplies.

But all calls for peace ended in familiar police crackdowns, emblematic of what has become a routine for democratic Europe.

More than a million French citizens took to the streets to oppose government policies focused on severe austerity measures. Members of various trade unions staged protests, causing significant disruptions to urban and intercity public transportation. Students, including university students and even school pupils, also joined the protests.

In Paris and several other major cities, police engaged in fierce clashes with demonstrators, employing a wide range of special force tactics—from batons to tear gas. Workers and students once again publicly appealed to the authorities, seeking to persuade Macron and his government to consider the people's needs and uphold rights and equality.

Fabrice Wild, Head of the French Railway Workers' Union, stated:

"Today, we are asking not to implement the government’s austerity plan. It will force the poorest in this country—workers, pensioners, students—to pay even more and for everything. We understand: yes, money is tight, and the debt is high, but Macron’s government has been in power for over seven years. The bourgeoisie doesn’t know what to do with its money. They caused the crisis—let the rich pay. We want to make this clear to everyone."

The voices of ordinary citizens are ignored at the top, just as the government refuses to admit its political mistakes.

In response to the people's protests, more than 80,000 law enforcement officers, fully equipped, were mobilized.

The new Prime Minister Lecornu has not repealed a single controversial item from the anti-crisis budget plan, including cuts to social spending and even the cancellation of holidays. After one of the largest and most dramatic protests recently, there was no reaction from the Élysée Palace.

Consequently, a new phase of the "Block Everything" campaign may begin within a week. French citizens are forced to resist, as authorities plan to cut pension and healthcare expenditures by €43 billion.

Marie Vairon, representative of the "Solidarity" trade union confederation, said:

"This severe austerity is truly unbearable today. We are fighting for a budget that allows us to have quality public services and a fairer distribution of income."

Meanwhile, Paris’s elites readily allocate funds for the war in Ukraine.

Since 2022, Macron and his government have diverted €8.6 billion from taxpayers’ pockets to support Kyiv — funding military equipment, training Ukrainian soldiers, and investing in the European Peace Fund for arms procurements.

Although the word "peace" sounds blasphemous in this context, just as the French historical motto "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" has been shattered, the streets of modern France are marred by scenes of brutal violence and chaos, destroying the ideals once associated with them.