Angry protesters took to the streets of Paris, confronting police and adding to the escalating political pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
At least 50 people were taken into custody in the capital as part of the ongoing “Block Everything” campaign, aimed at halting transport links nationwide. Protesters attempted to obstruct roads and key rail hubs, including the Eurostar at Gare du Nord, on Wednesday morning.
Disturbing footage posted on X shows far-left activists hurling rubbish bins at law enforcement, prompting a strong police response. According to a Paris police spokesperson
Most of those taken into custody were threatening public order. Many more are expected to gather as the day progresses.
Elsewhere, balaclava-clad protesters erected barricades to block intersections in cities including Bordeaux and Marseille.
The chaos comes less than 24 hours after Macron appointed his seventh prime minister in less than nine years. Sébastien Lecornu has pledged to improve on the performance of his predecessor, François Bayrou, who was ousted after losing a self-imposed vote of confidence in the National Assembly on Monday, September 8th.
Meanwhile, further tensions also emerged in Brittany, where an attacker entered the Basilica of Guingamp during mass, set a statue of the Virgin Mary on fire, and escaped without being captured. The incident was widely shared on X.
The decline of public order in Paris and France more broadly is adding to the difficulties of Macron’s increasingly unpopular administration.
