A huge number of law enforcement officers have been deployed across the country with 80,000 thousand gendarmes and police officers stationed nationwide. Paris, Caen, Bordeaux, Nantes… France is bracing itself for a chaotic day, following the “Block everything” call to action that has been circulating on social media. The protest and rage movement emerged after Prime Minister François Bayrou’s resignation, with Sébastien Lecornu preparing to succeed him. The protesters vowed to overwhelm France with a wave of roadblocks, demonstrations and transport strikes. Earlier today, the Ministry of the Interior reported 200 arrests in France, 95 of which were in Paris alone. “At the moment, the atmosphere in the capital is rather calm,” reports to SIR Loup Besmond de Seneville, deputy editor-in-chief of the Catholic daily La Croix, which is following the events as they unfold. “Clearly, part of the population has chosen to stay at home,” he adds. “There are fewer cars on the streets. Even the metro is not as crowded as usual.” “I was told that protesters had blocked several schools, particularly high schools, in the capital, but this is fairly common whenever there are protests in Paris,” the journalist explained. He pointed out that “this is what the situation in Paris looks like. However, it is important to pay closer attention to what is happening outside Paris, as this movement bears a striking resemblance to the Gilets Jaunes movement in France, which began in rural and peri-urban areas rather than in Paris. Once again, common elements are emerging.”
“These are people struggling to make ends meet. Often in employment, they still feel socially isolated. They perceive themselves as marginalised by society, and this sense of exclusion is particularly acute in rural areas.”
Following François Bayrou’s resignation, President Macron did not backtrack, instead entrusting the formation of a new government to one of his loyalists, Sébastien Lecornu. The timeframe is very tight. The handover ceremony will take place at the Matignon Palace today, September 10, after which Lecornu will open a round of consultations with French political parties to agree on a priority agenda for the coming months, starting from the budget and public finances. Once the agenda has been agreed, Lecornu will present a new cabinet lineup to Macron. But Macron’s choice of loyalist Lecornu to fill the role has sparked widespread protest. The French Socialist Party said the news came as a ″slap in the face″.
“This movement is linked to the ongoing political crisis,” notes Besmond de Seneville.
“Lecornu is a close ally of Macron’s and his appointment is seen as an act of provocation.”
“For the last two or three years, Macron’s governments have been collapsing one after the other, yet he continues to appoint similar profiles from the political centre or centre-right,” the journalist observes. “This crisis is fuelling discontent while empowering the protest movement, which is becoming increasingly popular.” Initially supported mainly by sovereignist and right-wing groups, over time it evolved into a movement backed, at least in part, by the far left, notably by Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise.
The “On bloque tout” protest currently attracts a heterogeneous group of people from various social backgrounds, political affiliations and age groups. Their demands vary, but what unites them is a feeling of deep discontent. According to the journalist, rather than conveying a “specific policy programme” the protest is “the manifestation of widespread dissatisfaction.” Besmond de Seneville mentions the significant French expression “ras-le-bol”, which conveys extreme frustration or dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anger and irritation. A protester, speaking anonymously on La Croix’s “live” broadcast, described it as follows: “What is happening today reflects widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s poor performance and institutional gridlock. People want change, but they realise that the government no longer represents them or listens to their demands. On top of that, the appointment of outgoing defence minister Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister is a very bad sign. So I see only one option: direct action, blockades, and more protests.”
Besmond de Seneville outlines the underlying reasons for the protests as follows: “There is widespread discontent. People feel that they are working harder and harder without any recognition or benefits in return. The rich are getting richer and richer, and there is nothing left for the rest of society. People in employment, those with families and those who suffered separation or divorce started this movement.”
“There is a genuine feeling of discontent shared by real people. The angst of time running out, of having to face the end of the month, exhaustion from work and still feeling stuck is what best defines it.”
