Protests erupt across France as new PM faces 'baptism of fire'; 200 held

The movement, which began online and gained momentum over summer, fell short of its "Block Everything" goal but caused widespread disruption

Protesters blocked roads, set blazes and were met with volleys of police tear gas Wednesday in Paris and elsewhere in France, seeking to heap pressure on President Emmanuel Macron by attempting to give his new prime minister a baptism of fire.

The interior minister announced nearly 200 arrests in the first hours of the planned day of nationwide protests.

Although falling short of its self-declared intention to Block Everything, the protest movement that started online and gathered steam over the summer caused widespread hot spots of disruption, defying an exceptional deployment of 80,000 police who broke up barricades and swiftly made arrests.

 

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said a bus was set on fire in the western city of Rennes and that damage to a power line blocked trains on a line in the southwest. He alleged that protesters were attempting to create a climate of insurrection.