‘Block Everything’ protests turn new French PM’s first day into chaos

PARIS (AP) — A day of anti-government action across France on Wednesday saw streets choked with smoke, barricades in flames and volleys of tear gas as protesters denounced budget cuts and political turmoil.

The nationwide “Block Everything” campaign presented a challenge to President Emmanuel Macron and turned Sébastien Lecornu ’s first day as prime minister into a baptism of fire.

Although falling short of its self-declared intention of total disruption, the protests still managed to paralyze parts of daily life and ignite hundreds of hot spots across the country.

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.

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 labor confederations, claimed closer to 250,000.

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.

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.

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.

The protests immediately presented a challenge to Bayrou's replacement, Lecornu, installed Wednesday.

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.

Road blockades, traffic slowdowns and other protests were widely spread — from the southern port city of Marseille to Lille and Caen in the north, and Nantes and Rennes in the west to Grenoble and Lyon in the southeast. Authorities reported demonstrations in small towns, too.

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."

“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.”

France’s prolonged cycle of political instability, with Macron’s minority governments lurching from crisis to crisis, has fueled widespread discontent.

Paris protester Aglawen Vega, a nurse and public hospital union delegate, said anger that fueled the yellow-vest protests never went away and that she wanted to defend France’s public services from privatization.

“We’re governed by robbers,” she said. “People are suffering, are finding it harder and harder to last out the month, to feed themselves. We’re becoming an impoverished nation.”

Some criticized the disruptions.

“It's a bit excessive,” said Bertrand Rivard, an accounting worker on his way to a meeting in Paris. "We live in a democracy and the people should not block the country because the government doesn't take the right decisions.”

“Block Everything" gathered momentum over the summer on social media and encrypted chats, including on Telegram. Pavel Durov, Telegram's Russian-born founder now under investigation in France for alleged criminal activity on the messaging app., said he is “proud” the platform was used to organize anti-Macron rallies.

The movement's call for a day of blockades, strikes, boycotts, demonstrations and other acts of protest came as Bayrou was preparing to cut public spending by 44 billion euros ($51 billion) to rein in France's growing deficit and trillions in debts. He also proposed the elimination of two public holidays from the country’s annual calendar — which proved wildly unpopular.

Retailleau, a conservative who allied with Macron’s centrist camp to serve as interior minister in Bayrou’s government and is now in a caretaker role until Lecornu puts his Cabinet together, alleged Wednesday that left-wing radicals hijacked the protest movement, even though it has an apparent broad range of supporters.

He described “very numerous, sometimes violent” attempts to block the country but said those efforts had ultimately failed. Appeals for non-violence accompanied its online protest calls.

Lecornu, who previously served as defense minister, now inherits the task of addressing France’s budget difficulties, facing the same political instability and widespread hostility to Macron that contributed to Bayrou’s undoing.

Macron’s governments have been on particularly shaky ground since he dissolved the National Assembly last year, triggering an unscheduled legislative election that stacked the lower house of parliament with his opponents.

The spontaneity of “Block Everything” is reminiscent of the yellow vests movement that started with workers camping out at traffic circles to protest a hike in fuel taxes, sporting high-visibility vests. It quickly spread to people across political, regional, social and generational divides angry at economic injustice and Macron’s leadership.

Associated Press journalist Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report

Protesters of the "Block Everything" movement take cover from a spraying water canon in Lille, northern France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

A protesters of the "Block Everything" movement takes cover of a water canon behind an umbrella in Lille, northern France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Riot police officers take position in front of a burning restaurant during the « Bloquons Tout » (Block Everything) protest movement in Paris, France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Protesters of the the "Block Everything" movement march during a rally in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)

A protester holds a placard that reads, "let's tax the rich," during a rally of the "Block Everything" movement in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)

Newly named Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, left, is welcomed by outgoing French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, right, for a handover ceremony at the Prime Minister residence, in Paris, France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

French police fire tear gas grenades to protesters during a gathering of the "Block Everything" movement in Marseille, south of France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

A police officer stands next to bins placed on a street to block it during the "Bloquons Tout" (Block Everything) protest movement in Paris, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Protesters block a street during the "Bloquons Tout" (Block Everything) protest movement in Paris, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French police fire tear gas grenades to protesters during a gathering of the "Block Everything" movement in Marseille, south of France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

French police disperse protesters during a gathering of the "Block Everything" movement in Marseille, south of France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Protesters block a street during the "Bloquons Tout" (Block Everything) protest movement in Paris, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS (AP) — Tennis players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics.

And the 2024 Olympics were held in July and August.

Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F) — far beyond normal for late May in the French capital. And it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week.

Besides making it uncomfortable for fans and players alike, the sultry conditions have also created faster conditions on court — changing the pace of the game.

“It is much different. Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics but the balls were different, so I wouldn’t treat it as the same tournament,” four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek said after routing Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 in the first round on Monday.

Players have been putting bags of ice around their necks on changeovers to stay cool, while fans are refreshing themselves under sprinklers.

When workers water the clay courts between sets, they have taken to directing their hoses at spectators begging to be doused, too.

“I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros,” Russian-born Australian player Daria Kasatkina said after beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4. “Maybe one day. But we’re going to have it for the whole week.”

Kasatkina said the energy-sapping temperatures made for more up-and-down matches.

“You can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,” she said. “So this is a battle which you have to also win. … Whoever adapts better to today’s conditions gets it.”

Canadian player Gabriel Diallo said the heat was the main reason why he retired midway through his match against James Duckworth on Sunday.

Both Andrey Rublev and opponent Ignacio Buse called for the trainer on separate occasions during the second set of their match on Monday.

Buse took a medical timeout and had salts and minerals added to his water bottle as a stethoscope was placed on his chest. Rublev received treatment a few games later.

The French Open is usually cool compared to the heat at the Australian Open and U.S. Open.

But like in Australia and New York, the French Open has adopted an extreme weather policy.

If the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) — which takes into account temperature, humidity, sun, wind and other factors — reaches 30.1 degrees C (86 F) or higher, 10-minute cooling breaks can be installed between the second and third sets for women’s matches and between the third and fourth sets for men’s matches.

If the WBGT hits 32.2 C (90 F), play is suspended. It would require an air temperature of about 38 C (100 F) for play to be suspended.

Some players were embracing the hotter air.

“I’ve always preferred hot and lively conditions to chilly on a clay court, because I feel like I can bring a little bit more of my all-court tennis on this type of surface,” Australian player Alex de Minaur said after beating Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

“It’s easier to be a little bit more aggressive. The ball is jumping. I don’t necessarily have to use as much spin or heaviness, and I can let the conditions do the job for me. And it’s quite physical. I don’t mind the heat,” De Minaur added.

Same goes for American player Alex Michelsen, who eliminated Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets.

“It’s definitely good for us Americans,” Michelsen said. “Generally we’re big serve, big forehand, big ground game and like to play offense. When it’s super hot, the ball is moving through the air very fast. … I was so happy when I saw the forecast.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

A stadium worker sprays the court with water before the first round men's singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Visitors cool themselves with water from sprinklers during a hot day at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

A woman cools herself with a portable fan during the first round men's singles tennis match between Alex De Minaur of Australia and Toby Samuel of Britain at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Spectators cool themselves with hand fans during the first round women's singles tennis match between Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and Anna Bondar of Hungary at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Poland's Iga Swiatek gestures for a ballboy as he shields her from the sun during a break at the first round women's singles tennis match against Emerson Jones of Australia at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Visitors cool themselves with water from sprinklers during a hot day at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alex De Minaur of Australia attends a break during the first round men's singles tennis match against Toby Samuel of Britain at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)