'Bloquons Tout' Protest Grips France, New PM Sebastien Lecornu's First Day Turns 'Chaotic'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) France's new Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, on Wednesday vowed to deliver a“profound break” from previous leadership as he began the difficult task of forming a government capable of steering the country out of its ongoing political crisis, as reported by AFP.

Here are the top ten updates:

1. Lecornu's first day in office was marked by widespread street protests against President Emmanuel Macron, with demonstrators clashing with police. The protests, which gained traction on social media under the slogan“block everything,” had mixed effects across the country. Still, turnout exceeded that of the traditional May 1st Labour Day demonstrations.

A demonstrator passes by a trash container set ablaze at the end of a demonstration at the Place de la Republique square part of the 'Bloquons tout' ('Let's block everything') protest movement, in Paris, on September 10, 2025. The broad anti-government campaign, dubbed 'Bloquons tout' ('Let's block everything'), calls for a shutdown of France on September 10 with a string of protest actions and civil disobedience around the country, while the handover of power between the new Prime Minister and his predecessor, who suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote on September 8, is scheduled for the same day at noon. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

2. The deployment of 80,000 police officers broke up barricades and dragged hundreds of protesters into custody, yet flashpoints multiplied. In Rennes, a bus was torched. In the southwest, electrical cables were severed, halting train services and snarling traffic.

3. By evening, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said nearly 200,000 people had taken to the streets nationwide, while the CGT union, one of France's largest labour confederations, claimed closer to 250,000, AP reported.

4. His ministry reported more than 450 arrests, hundreds held in custody, over a dozen officers injured, and more than 800 protest actions - from rallies to street fires - across the country. Retailleau called the day“a defeat for those who wanted to block the country.” Yet the government's own tally told a different story.

5. The“Bloquons Tout,” or“Block Everything,” protests did not match the scale of France's 2018 yellow vest revolt, but still underscored the cycle of unrest that has dogged Macron's presidency: mass deployments, bursts of violence, and repeated clashes between the government and the streets.

6. After his reelection in 2022, Macron faced firestorms of anger over unpopular pension reforms and nationwide unrest and rioting in 2023 after the deadly police shooting of a teenager on Paris' outskirts.

Still, demonstrations and sporadic clashes with riot police in Paris and elsewhere Wednesday added to a sense of crisis that has again gripped France following its latest government collapse on Monday, when Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a parliamentary confidence vote.

7. Groups of protesters who repeatedly tried to block Paris' beltway during the morning rush hour were dispersed by police using tear gas. Elsewhere in the capital, protesters piled up trash cans and hurled objects at police officers. Firefighters were called out to a fire in a restaurant in the downtown Châtelet neighborhood, where thousands of protesters gathered peacefully.

They're trying to make working people, young students, retirees - all people in difficulty - bear all the effort instead of taxing wealth.

8. Afternoon gatherings of thousands of people in central Paris were peaceful and good-humored, with placards taking aim at Macron and his new prime minister.“Lecornu, you're not welcome,” read a placard brandished by a group of graphic design students. Another read:“Macron explosion.”

9.“One prime minister has just been ousted and straight away we get another from the right,” said student Baptiste Sagot, 21.“They're trying to make working people, young students, retirees - all people in difficulty - bear all the effort instead of taxing wealth.”

One prime minister has just been ousted and straight away we get another from the right.

10. France's ongoing political instability, marked by President Emmanuel Macron's minority governments stumbling from one crisis to the next, has deepened public frustration across the country, AP reported.

Aglawen Vega, a nurse and union representative for public hospitals who was protesting in Paris, said the anger that sparked the Yellow Vest movement never truly disappeared. She noted her determination to defend France's public services from what she sees as creeping privatisation.

Key Takeaways

• The protests highlight widespread discontent with the French government amid ongoing political instability.
• Public sentiment remains charged, recalling the intensity of the Yellow Vest movement.
• The government's handling of protests may reflect deeper issues regarding public trust and political representation.

MENAFN11092025007365015876ID1110046594