Hundreds arrested in clashes with riot police at ‘block everything’ protests in France (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

The massive demonstrations come amid deepening political and economic turmoil in the country

Hundreds have been arrested in France as riot police clashed with demonstrators, who vowed to “block everything” nationwide amid rising discontent with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

Around 175,000 people took part in the protests on Wednesday across Paris and other cities, including Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes, and Lyon, the Interior Ministry said. Officials reported 473 arrests nationwide, while security services logged over 800 protest actions and hundreds of fires and blockades of roads and buildings.

The demonstrations were called under the slogan ‘Bloquons Tout’, or ‘Let’s block everything’ – signaling an intent to strike, block roads, and disrupt public services in opposition to proposed austerity measures. Over 80,000 police officers were deployed to swiftly dismantle barricades and clear blockades.

In Paris, police fired tear gas outside Gare du Nord train station, where around a thousand protesters gathered, some holding signs declaring Wednesday a ‘public holiday’. In Nantes, demonstrators set tires and bins ablaze to block a highway before being dispersed with gas. In Montpellier, scuffles erupted as protesters erected barricades, with one banner demanding ‘Macron resign’.

Protesters attempted to start a blockade in Bordeaux, while in Toulouse a fire briefly disrupted train services before being extinguished. Some 400 people stormed the Gare de Lyon station in Paris.

The rallies come as France grapples with a spiraling budget deficit that hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024 – almost double the EU 3% ceiling. The unrest recalls the Yellow Vest revolt that erupted over fuel taxes and economic inequality in Macron’s first term. It follows Monday’s no-confidence vote that forced out Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, clearing the way for Sebastien Lecornu to become the country’s fourth premier in a year.

Bayrou’s austerity plan – scrapping public holidays, cutting public jobs and freezing welfare payments while boosting military spending – has sparked fierce backlash.

“It’s the same shit… it’s Macron who’s the problem, not the ministers,” a CGT transport union representative told Reuters. “It’s more Macron and his way of working, which means he has to go.”

Polls show Macron’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest since 2017, with eight in ten French saying they no longer trust him.