France descended into chaos Wednesday as tens of thousands flooded the streets in the nationwide “Block Everything” protests, demanding an end to deep budget cuts and denouncing President Emmanuel Macron’s embattled government. The mass unrest marked Sébastien Lecornu’s first day as prime minister—and it was nothing short of a political firestorm.
Flames lit up roads, buses burned, and riot police clashed with demonstrators in scenes reminiscent of the Yellow Vest uprising. Over 80,000 police were deployed to contain more than 800 protest actions across France, with nearly 200,000 protesters in the streets according to Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. The CGT union claimed the number was closer to 250,000.
From Paris to Marseille, from Rennes to Grenoble, rail lines were severed, streets blocked, and tear gas filled the air. In Paris, students held signs reading “Macron Explosion” and “Lecornu, You’re Not Welcome.” Fires burned in the Châtelet district, and riot police broke up roadblocks and scuffles during morning rush hour.
Lecornu, a close Macron ally, stepped into office following the ouster of Prime Minister François Bayrou, who lost a confidence vote on Monday. The protests were largely a reaction to Bayrou’s proposed $51 billion in spending cuts and a controversial plan to eliminate two national holidays.
Fueling the unrest was widespread frustration with Macron’s repeated attempts to govern through unelected technocrats and his alliance with elites in a fractured National Assembly. Protesters accused his government of forcing the working class to bear the burden of France’s mounting debt.
Online organization played a key role in mobilizing crowds. The protests were coordinated via social media and encrypted messaging apps like Telegram—whose Russian-born founder is now under investigation in France.
Despite hundreds of arrests and injuries to police officers, protests remained widespread by nightfall. France’s long-festering discontent has once again boiled over—this time into Lecornu’s political baptism by fire.
