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France Block Everything Protests: Massive protests held across France on Wednesday, disrupting traffic and burning rubbish bins in a bid to "Block Everything". The 'Block Everything' protests were held in anger at the political class and planned budget cuts. The protesting activists clashed with the police personnel during the protests.

Protesters blocked roads, set blazes and were met with volleys of police tear gas in Paris and elsewhere in France. The protests are seen as an attempt to heap pressure on President Emmanuel Macron by attempting to give his new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, a litmus test on the first day of his appointment.

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A Big Test On First Day In PM Office

The Block Everything Protests came hours after French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu as France's new Prime Minister. On the first day, Lecornu was tasked to get the country's fractious political parties to agree on a budget for one of the world's biggest economies and deal with scheduled "Block Everything" protests.

What Is "Block Everything" Movement?

The "Block Everything" movement is a broad expression of discontent with no centralised leadership and an ad hoc organisation by social media, similar to faceless Gen-Z movement in Nepal. It was sprung up online in May among right-wing groups, but has since been taken over by the left and far-left.

Here Are Key Highlights Of The Anti-Government Protests

1. The Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, announced nearly 200 arrests in the first hours of the planned day of nationwide demonstrations.

2. The “Block Everything” movement started online over the summer caused widespread hot spots of disruption, defying an exceptional deployment of 80,000 police who broke up barricades and swiftly made arrests.

3. The interior minister said a bus was set on fire in the western city of Rennes and that damage to a power line blocked trains on a line in the southwest.

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4. Retailleau alleged that protesters were attempting to create “a climate of insurrection.”

5. However, the initial protests appeared less intense than previous bouts of unrest that have sporadically rocked Macron’s leadership after his reelection in 2022. Massive protests were triggered over unpopular pension reforms and nationwide unrest and rioting in 2023.

(With AP inputs)