French unions, protest groups, and several political parties are showing increasing support for the online call for a nationwide “shutdown” on September 10.
This mysterious social media movement, known under the banners of Bloquons tout (block everything) and mobilisation10septembre (rally10september), claims it was formed to protest against the government’s “austerity policy” announced by French Prime Minister François Bayrou on July 15.
The group’s exact aims and demands are unclear, with some voices calling for protests, while others encourage “confinement.” Possible actions include boycotting supermarkets and refusing to go to work.
Some French newspapers suspect action could materialise in a similar way to the gilets jaunes protests that took place in France between 2018 and 2020.
Little is known about the core members of Bloquons tout, with several choosing to remain anonymous. The group also has no key leader or political allegiance - a deliberate decision, it says, so as to shine the spotlight on citizen-led action.
The group’s ‘official’ website and social media accounts were mysteriously deleted at the end of July, with supporters now communicating via a series of websites and regional Telegram discussions, further highlighting the “decentralised” nature of the movement.
Despite this, some left-wing politicians have recently stated they will be backing the movement.
Political support
Founder of far left party La France Insoumise (LFI) and 2022 presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was the first major politician to express support.
"We will not let this happen!" he wrote in an article in La Tribune Dimanche on August 16, before describing the government's recent budget proposal as "devastating."
Several LFI representatives have since joined Mr Mélenchon in advocating the movement, including LFI's coordinator, Manuel Bompard.
Similarly, on August 19, Green MP for Paris Sandrine Rousseau, told FranceInfo: "I want people to hear the voices of those who are rising up... It is important to understand that part of the population today not only lacks the means to live, but the means to survive."
Two days later, Ms Rousseau clarified: “I will participate, but I will participate in my own way, that is to say, in the background, since this is a citizen-led movement."
The party’s national secretary expressed a similar message on X.
Head of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faure, confirmed the PS's discontent with the government’s budget proposal and confirmed the support of the Bloquons tout movement: "On September 10 and the days that follow, we will stand up against the unacceptable nature of this project."
At a conference in Montpellier on August 23, Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the Communist Party, said he plans to join the blockade and encouraged his party members to do the same.
Right-wing party, Le Rassemblement National (RN), has not made any statements regarding September 10. RN vice-president Edwige Diaz told Agence France-Presse: “Our members and voters are free to do what they want.”
Union support
National trade unions such as the CGT have not yet announced whether they will join the blockade movement.
“[The movement] is still completely unclear in terms of the actions and demands,’ Sophie Binet, secretary general of the CGT, told France Inter on August 22.
An inter-union meeting is planned for September 1 to decide whether a general strike will be called.
Other unions however have already decided they will be joining the movement.
The Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), France’s leading high school union, called for a school blockade on September 10. A press release published on August 25 stated: “High school students have every right to protest against a policy that is destroying their daily lives, their academic conditions and their future.”
The USL also suggests that the action could last for more than just one day, beginning on September 10 and applying from that date onwards.
The federal secretary of the Sud-Rail trade union, Julien Troccaz, has expressed the intention to “block everything in the rail network”. This follows the current ‘rolling strike’ motion for the dates covering June 12 - September 1.
“I can announce that Sud-Rail’s campaign teams are beginning to engage with workers, participate in preparations for blockades and prepare for a major strike in our sector on September 10,” Mr Troccaz told FranceInfo on August 21.
Strikes in September
Other disruption and strike action is already planned in the days and weeks surrounding the blockade date:
September 2 - Energy workers
September 5 - Taxi drivers
September 8 - Lyon’s public transport workers (TCL)
September 18 - Pharmacists
The rising discontent among politicians and trade unions has led Mr Bayrou to request a parliamentary vote of confidence in the lead up to the debate on his 2026 budget plan. This vote will be held on September 8, two days before the Bloquons tout mobilisation.
