A day of protests in France showed deep dissatisfaction with current politics - and brought huge numbers of police officers to the streets. Is this the new beginning of the protracted demonstrations
"Block Everything" protest movement (Bloquons tout) apparently caused discomfort at the highest level of government: 80.000 police officers were deployed across the country to keep the demonstrators under control - a significant number, considering that the intelligence service expected only 100.000 demonstrators, it says DW.
They wanted to paralyze France strikes and rallies - among other things, by blocking the boulevard Pรฉriphรฉrique, the ring road around Paris. But it only lasted a short time. Demonstration police quickly removed the protesters from the street.
In the end, the movement did not paralyze the entire country. Nevertheless, the protest shows how great the citizens' dissatisfaction is.
That's why 18-year-old Alix Gato Comte demonstrated in front of the Paris North train station (Gare du Nord) on Wednesday, along with several hundred, mostly young people. "Their yachts will be shipwrecked on our strikes," read the placard held by the political science student. Next to the slogan was a photo of billionaire Bernard Arnault, head of the luxury concern LVMH.
"We need a prime minister from the left who will finally implement social reforms in favor of the poor," she told DW, adding that the appointment of Sรฉbastien Lecornu as prime minister is the wrong signal. "He has been our defense minister until now - and President Emmanuel Macron wants to make us submit."
Macron on Tuesday chose Lecornu as his confidant for the mandate of the new government. Former Prime Minister Franรงois Bayrou previously failed in the parliament in a vote of confidence, which he wanted to get support for the 2026 budget. The budget predicted savings of 44 billion euros.
For student Alix Gato Conte, such a savings plan is unacceptable. "The prime minister wanted to abolish two public holidays and reduce health care costs, but he did not want to introduce more taxes for the rich," she emphasizes.
Bajru's budget announcement appears to have been the spark that ignited the "Block Everything" movement. However, an account called "Les essentiels" on the Telegram network, attributed to right-wing extremist circles, called for a one-day blockade on September 10 back in May. But it wasn't until Byro's budget speech in mid-July that more and more online accounts began to form to spread the call.
According to a survey by the left-wing Paris Foundation Jean-Jaures, almost two-thirds of the members of these groups are linked to the far-left France Unconquered (LFI) party.
Parallels with the Yellow Vests
Antoine Bernard de Raymont believes that the protest is somewhat reminiscent of the Yellow Vests, who have demonstrated for months since November 2018 for greater social justice and blocked roundabouts. "And then the protests started because of an announcement by the government - they wanted to increase the tax on fuel, which would affect the poorer residents of rural areas," De Raymon recalled to DW. In the end, the government abandoned the planned tax.
"Now, as then, the protesters feel that the state is not listening to them. They consider the current policy to be deeply unfair and think that victims are only being asked of them, not the rich."
However, there are also differences: "The yellow vests almost did not belong to parties and unions. This time there seem to be more graduate students and political activists," says Bernard de Raymont.
Stefan Siro, a historian and lecturer at the Paris Sciences Po University specializing in protest movements, considers the fact that both initiatives were autonomously organized on internet forums to be a similarity. "That's the tendency of the last two decades," he explains to DW.
"Traditional demonstrations organized by trade unions have had almost no success. The government no longer responds to them. That's why demonstrators choose unconventional ways, which can be even more radical."
Violent clashes between police and protesters took place in several places in France on Wednesday. According to experts, it's not just Bayru's budget: "There is a deep sense of dissatisfaction and anger."
Further protests have already been announced
This is confirmed by the brothers Lancelot and Robin, who, like many participants of the protest at the Paris Nord Station, do not want to reveal their surnames. Twenty-five-year-old Lancelot came to the capital all the way from the south of France to take part in the protest, together with his twenty-year-old brother.
"I want policies that protect our planet," says the landscape architect, holding a banner that says "We're here for the trees." "I no longer believe in the political system, because the voice of the people is not listened to. We need a more direct, local democracy," says Lancelot.
His brother Robin, whose placard reads "Tax the rich," nods in agreement. "We are ready to do our part to change things. But the parties don't want to find a compromise and just work against each other," the history student told DW.
For Emmanuel Rengoa, a political scientist at the southern French university of Montpellier, the demand for more direct democracy is reminiscent of the "Nuit Debout" protest movement of 2016. Demonstrators then occupied for several months, among other things, the Republic Square in Paris, and discussed new forms of government in discussion groups. "They also cared about greater civic participation," Rengoa tells DW.
However, so far there have been few common, concrete demands. In this way, protests can be extinguished more easily. "In addition, our democratic system hardly has any mechanisms through which horizontal civil movements outside of traditional organizational forms like trade unions could be heard. We will see if these actions lead to something concrete," says Rengoa.
Meanwhile, the unions have announced a national day of strikes and demonstrations for September 18.
Source: DW
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