Over 520 people detained during unrest in France

As many as 521 people were detained in France during the unrest that broke out during the nationwide ‘Block Everything’ protest against the country’s government policies.

Most of the detentions – 251 – occurred in Paris, where clashes between radical protestors and police forces have been taking place since morning. It was not specified how many of them remained in custody.

According to earlier reports, 339 out of 473 of those detained across the country remained in custody. According to media reports, 13 law enforcement officers were hurt during clashes with protesters.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Wednesday evening that nearly 200,000 people took part in anti-government demonstrations across the country. He also said that the police had conducted around 50 operations to unblock various facilities in the country.

By now, the police have dispersed the protesters from Paris’ Place de la Republique. Several clashes between the police and protesters were reported in the French capital during the day. The law enforcement had to use tear gas. Riots were also reported from Nantes, Rennes, Lyon, Montpellier, and other cities.

Nationwide protest rallies and strikes against the government’s economic policies are taking place in France. Organizers urged to “block the country,” including by disrupting the work of ports, blocking transport infrastructure and halting traffic.

According to the media, the first calls to “block the country” appeared online in May. However, the calls spread after the July statement by then-Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who proposed making state holidays working days and applying austerity measures to fill the state’s coffers with almost 44 billion euros.

The protesters’ slogans vary from women’s rights to attacks on the government and police, however, the most popular ones demand that the country’s President Emmanuel Macron resign and taxes for the rich increase.

Some protesters noted the government and politicians’ disengagement from reality and the issues of ordinary people, as well as urged to spend money on hospitals, transportation and other spheres, as opposed to manufacturing weapons.

This has been triggered by Bayrou’s budget cut proposal to reduce spending on almost all expenses with the exception of the defense ones which the authorities plan to increase ahead of the previously planned schedule.