France arrested 675 people nationwide during the Sept. 10 “Block Everything” protests, with 280 detained in the Paris region alone.
According to the Interior Ministry, of these arrests, 549 led to police custody following overnight incidents between Wednesday and Thursday, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez reported that fresh arrests were made after clashes in the capital, particularly at Place des Fetes.
“This morning we have 280 arrests, including a large number of people in police custody,” he told CNews-Europe 1, adding that 164 remained in custody as of Thursday morning.
Nunez described the protest movement as “a failure,” noting that no major blockades materialized despite “numerous, numerous attempts.”
He cited around 10 failed attempts to block the Paris ring road, an unsuccessful effort to storm Gare du Nord railway station, and sporadic disruptions at high schools and bus depots.
Senate President Gerard Larcher also labeled the mobilization “a failure” in remarks to BFMTV-RMC.
Some smaller protests continued Thursday, including attempted blockades in Nantes and at Sciences Po university in Paris, where police intervened to restore access.
Nunez vowed that authorities would maintain “the same determination, the same vigilance, the same doctrine” in preventing blockades in the days and weeks ahead.
Unions have already called for a new day of nationwide protests on Sept. 18, with a march planned in Paris. The final route has yet to be confirmed, as police have not approved the proposed endpoint.
