Mass protests swept Paris and other French cities on 10 September 2025, as a grassroots movement called Bloquons Tout tried to disrupt transport and public life on the first day the new prime minister took office.
Demonstrators blocked roads, set fires and faced volleys of police tear gas in a wave of actions aimed at pressing the government over planned budget cuts and wider political grievances.
Authorities mounted a major security operation, deploying roughly 80,000 officers nationwide, with several thousand in Paris alone.
Police moved to clear roadblocks and burning barricades; by midday officials reported about 280 people arrested in different cities.
Major rail hubs saw disruption, including a reported attempt to block Gare du Nord in Paris, and local authorities recorded incidents such as a bus set alight near Rennes and damage to infrastructure that halted some train services.
The protests come after a political shock: President Emmanuel Macron replaced François Bayrou with Sébastien Lecornu following Bayrou’s government defeat over an austerity package.
The appointment of Lecornu, a close ally of the president, appears to have added fuel to public anger and provided a focal point for the leaderless, online-born movement that draws participants from across the political spectrum.
Interior officials warned that the decentralized protests could be exploited by radical groups and urged vigilance as more demonstrations and blockades were planned for later in the week.
Observers say the unrest tests the new cabinet’s ability to push through a tight budget while keeping public order and avoiding a deeper political crisis.