Highways and city ring roads across France were brought to a standstill on Wednesday as demonstrators staged coordinated actions against government austerity, prompting mass arrests and a major police deployment.

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Protesters blocked traffic in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes and other cities under the call to “block everything.” By 8:00 a.m., police had detained at least 75 people in Paris and its suburbs, where officers intervened to prevent barricades at strategic points including Porte de Bagnolet and Porte de la Chapelle. In Rennes, riot police used tear gas to disperse several hundred demonstrators cutting off access to a major interchange.

Traffic monitoring agencies reported further blockades on the M7 in Lyon and the A10 near Poitiers, while in Marseille hundreds of people disrupted road and tram traffic with barricades. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said a cable fire had halted train services between Toulouse and Auch, and accused the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) of encouraging the mobilizations.

“There is a very political recovery that has undoubtedly led to a form of demobilization among those who did not want to be caught up in an instrumentalization. But the risk is more intense movements,” he told reporters.

LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon confirmed his party will file a motion of no confidence against newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unless he voluntarily seeks parliamentary approval. Lecornu, previously defense minister, was named this week after François Bayrou was ousted in a no-confidence vote. The protests coincide with Lecornu’s first day in office, adding pressure to his leadership and to President Emmanuel Macron amid escalating political turmoil.

The Confederation of General Labor (CGT) said 700 actions were scheduled nationwide, targeting workplaces and infrastructure. Authorities deployed 80,000 police and gendarmes to respond to the protests, which originated on social media and later gained support from unions and left-wing groups.

Despite the scale of the mobilization, public transport in Paris expected limited disruption, with commuter rail lines more affected than metro, bus and tram services.

The day of nationwide blockades highlighted the convergence of political and social unrest in France, where austerity measures and parliamentary instability are fueling a growing crisis for the government.

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