French police arrested more than 200 people on Wednesday as "Block Everything" (“Bloquons tout”) protesters attempted to paralyse transport and daily life across France, two days after Prime Minister François Bayrou's government collapsed over unpopular austerity measures, APA reports citing Euro News.
Authorities deployed 80,000 police officers and gendarmes as thousands of demonstrators lit fires, built barricades, and tried to block Paris' ring road, Europe's busiest urban motorway. The prefecture reported 95 arrests in the Paris area plus eight outside the capital by mid-morning on Wednesday.
At Porte de Montreuil in eastern Paris, protesters set rubbish bins ablaze and attempted to obstruct tram tracks before police dismantled the obstacles and dispersed crowds. Demonstrators also burst onto the highway in attempts to block traffic, but were likewise stopped by law enforcement.
Tensions have also grown around Paris' Gare du Nord, one of Europe’s busiest train stations, where a few hundred people gathered by 10:30 am. Police have closed the access to the train station; however, protesters are trying to force entry.
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11:50
Mass protests have erupted in France as citizens express discontent with the government’s economic policies, APA reports, citing BFMTV.
Demonstrations are taking place in several French cities, including the capital Paris, Marseille, and Toulouse, as part of the “Block Everything” movement that began on social media in response to former Prime Minister François Bayrou’s budget plan.
Protesters have erected barricades in the streets, set trash bins on fire, and clashes with police have been reported, with several people detained.
