Roads blocked, trains disrupted: September 18 strike latest

A day of strike action is underway in France causing disruption across the country.

Estimates from the Interior Ministry predict between 600,000 and 900,000 people will join marches and demonstrations, as France’s eight major unions and left-wing political parties urge action. 

More than 76,000 turned out to early-morning protests according to the Interior Ministry, although the CGT union claims 400,000 people attended. 

More action is expected to be held in the afternoon, including major demonstrations, with final tallies for turnouts expected this evening.

Head of the CGT union Sophie Binet called today's protests "a success," based on these early figures.

Up to 250 union-affiliated demonstrations are taking place, with those in large cities including Paris and Marseille set to attract tens of thousands of protestors each. 

There are reports of violence at marches in these two cities as well as Lyon and Nantes.

Major unions and parties are looking to pressurise new Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu into overhauling the proposed 2026 budget, protesting for better pay and working conditions, and for re-opening discussions over the pension reform.

Several other smaller independent unions such as those for pharmacists, physiotherapists, and taxi drivers are engaging in their own protests today over sector-specific concerns.

Disruption to transport, noticeably to regional train services and the Paris metro, is underway, and pharmacies are shut across France. 

Airports are also set to be disrupted, with the Basel-Mulhouse airport (located just inside the French border) reporting that flight cancellations are expected later today. Airports nationwide are expecting delays, although widespread cancellations are unlikely.

Disruption to public transport in Paris is a little less than initially expected, and resigning Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said rail travel is “disrupted but not blocked” this morning. 

Up to 90% of high-speed TGV services are set to run today, but only half of Intercités trains. Local TER trains will run at around 60% capacity, but this will depend on the region. 

The A50 and A57 roads near Toulon (Var) have been partially blocked by protestors engaging in 'snail operations’ and driving extremely slowly. Other motorways across France have seen disruption from protests.

Elsewhere, union-backed blockades of certain factories are taking place, including the ‘Eurolinks’ factory near Marseille. 

The Parisian police prefecture has called on shop owners in Paris to close for the day in light of potential damage during today’s march.

Several schools across the country are being blocked by students, including secondary schools and universities, and up to 17% of teachers  are on strike - rising up to 45% of secondary school and college teachers of the Snes-FSU union - leading to hundreds of closures. 

A poll from French media outlet BFMTV suggests that a majority of the French population supports the strike action.

Tension between police and protestors 

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is deploying between 80,000 to 90,000 police and gendarmes in a bid to keep order, the largest seen since the gilets jaunes protests in 2019. 

He cites the threat of violent ‘black bloc’ protestors joining marches that intentionally look to sow chaos and attack law enforcement. 

As of midday, 99 arrests have been made across France, with 95 attempts at ‘blocages’ (disruptive action unaffiliated with official union marches) being recorded. 

More than 200 actions 'on public roads' have been recorded, but disruption is less intense than initially expected said the Minister. 

For his part, La France Insoumise talisman and emblematic figure on the left Jean-Luc Mélenchon has called for “the utmost discipline,” from striking workers and to avoid engagements with police.

Mr  Retailleau said that overnight and early in the morning, police dealt with dozens of attempted blockades in France and around Paris, including at a bus station in the Seine-Saint-Denis department.

Anti-protest vehicles and water cannons have been deployed by police forces at major hotspots. 

Sophie Binet said to FranceInfo that the Interior Minister was “adding fuel to the fire,” by deploying so many police, citing reports of early morning protestors being tear gassed despite “protesting peacefully.”

Head of the FO union Frédéric Souillot said to media outlet BFMTV this morning that protests “will continue” if the prime minister does not change his politics.

Earlier this morning, protestors briefly entered the Economy Ministry headquarters in Paris.