Mass Protests Erupt Across France Against Austerity Measures... Hundreds Arrested

About 175,000 Join as Roads and Schools Blockaded
Citizens Chant: "Oppose Austerity, Impeach Macron"

Protests against the government's austerity measures erupted across France, leading to blockades of roads and schools and the arrest of hundreds of people.

AP Yonhap News

According to Le Monde and BFM TV on the 10th (local time), the French Ministry of the Interior announced that there were 550 rallies, 262 blockades, and 812 anti-government actions nationwide that day. The number of protest participants was estimated at 175,000. During these events, 473 people were arrested for illegal activities, with 339 of them placed in detention. One third of those detained were in Paris.

Large-scale protests were held in front of Gare du Nord, in the city center at Chatelet Les Halles, and at Place de la Republique in Paris. Placards with slogans such as "Impeach Macron" and "Down with Macron" were seen throughout the protests. The demonstrators attempted to enter Gare du Nord and blockade the station, but the police blocked the entrances, resulting in a standoff outside that lasted for several hours. At Chatelet Les Halles, a large crowd of protesters gathered, causing the major shopping mall there to close from 3 p.m., and both the metro and RER stations were shut down.

During the standoff between protesters and police, a fire broke out at a restaurant near Place du Chatelet around 4 p.m., prompting firefighters to respond urgently. The Paris Prosecutor's Office stated that, based on the initial investigation, the fire appeared to have started accidentally during police efforts to control the protest, and that a thorough investigation into the cause was underway.

The protests were triggered after former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who has since resigned, announced an austerity budget aimed at reducing public debt in July. Initially, the campaign began among ordinary citizens through social networking services (SNS), but it shifted into protests and blockades as far-left political groups and hardline labor unions joined in. In fact, from early morning, highways, roundabouts, and overpasses were blocked in various parts of France, causing significant disruptions to traffic flow.

The French Ministry of Education also announced that classes were disrupted at about 100 high schools nationwide that morning, with a total of 27 schools being blockaded. The Union Syndicale Lyc?enne (USL), a high school students' union, reported that protests took place at around 150 schools.

Due to the protests, some exhibition halls at the Louvre Museum were closed, and shops in the city center installed makeshift barricades on their display windows out of concern for violent demonstrations. Bruno Retailleau, the former interior minister who has resigned, stated, "Small, experienced groups dressed in black and wearing masks are active. This has nothing to do with the citizens' movement. It has been distorted and taken over by far-left forces and is supported by the La France Insoumise (LFI) party." He added, "Such blockades are attempts to hinder the movement and freedom of the French people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.