The PM's inauguration

Protests in France: 295 arrests and clashes in Paris and other cities

As Macron installs the new Prime Minister

10 September 2025Aggiornato alle 14:00

Manifestanti chiedono la fine dell'austerità durante una manifestazione del collettivo "Bloquons tout" (Blocca tutto) a Montpellier, Francia, 10 settembre 2025. In segno di protesta contro il bilancio di austerità del governo uscente, un collettivo online chiamato "Bloquons Tout" ha invitato tutti a bloccare l'intero Paese il 10 settembre con azioni simboliche. EPA/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO

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A day of high political and social tensions in France, with massive anti-government protests forming the backdrop to the inauguration of the new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, the fifth appointed in two years by Emmanuel Macron.

The French Ministry of the Interior has announced that at least 327 arrests have been registered across the country since this morning as part of demonstrations called by the 'Bloquons Tout' movement. This was reported by the broadcaster Bfmtv. At a press conference, Laure Beccuau, Attorney General of Paris, reported that 199 arrests had been registered in the capital, 99 of which resulted in police custody.

Lecornu, a loyalist of the president and until yesterday Defence Minister, officially took office at noon, meeting his predecessor Francois Bayrou, defeated by the National Assembly on Monday over the austerity plan to reduce the deficit.

On his first day in Matignon, Lecornu promised a 'profound break' with the past, declaring that he will present his political vision in the coming days, which he says will be different 'not only in method, but in substance'. However, the road promises to be an uphill one: the radical left-wing party France Insoumise (LFI) has already announced a motion of no-confidence, currently without the support of other parliamentary groups.

Meanwhile, squares across France filled with demonstrators in opposition to President Macron and his government line. The mobilisation, launched by an informal coalition of left-wing groups, led to around 300 arrests and clashes between demonstrators and police forces. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau spoke of 'zero tolerance' towards all forms of violence and ordered the mobilisation of 80,000 agents throughout the territory.

In Francia le proteste dei “Bloquons Tout”
Photogallery20 foto

The attempt to 'bring everything to a halt', as announced by the organisers, was only partially successful. High-speed trains and the metro in Paris operated regularly, but numerous schools were blocked, as were several roads, railway lines and toll booths. In Paris, protesters raised barricades with rubbish bins, blocked high schools, obstructed traffic and threw rubbish at police. In the morning, about 1,000 people tried to enter the Gare du Nord, but were pushed back by security forces.

Other cities experienced moments of high tension. In Lyon, protesters blocked a main street and set fire to rubbish bins. In Nantes, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. In Marseille, about 200 protesters were stopped while trying to block one of the main arteries of the city.

Closed Orsay Museum and part of the Louvre

The Musée d'Orsay and part of the Louvre Museum closed in Paris. "Due to a national social movement the Musée d'Orsay is closed today 10 September. Please excuse us for the inconvenience,' reads a message posted on the X profile of the famous Parisian institution that houses the masterpieces of Impressionism. A similar message was posted on the Louvre's social media: 'Dear visitors, due to a social movement some rooms of the Louvre Museum are exceptionally closed,' wrote the world's largest museum, adding that the small Delacroix Museum, which depends on the Louvre, was also closed today due to the protests. Inconveniences also at the National Library of France (Bnf), with the restriction of the opening hours of some spaces such as the Salle Labrouste, which was barricaded all afternoon.