Roadblocks and closures as Bloquons Tout activists target French road network

"The Bloquons Tout movement is intended to 'bring France to a halt' in protest at plans for national austerity, and more widely against the unpopular government of Emmanuel Macron. The movement is wide-ranging, with calls for people to simply stay at home to block the country, while others are taking more direct action. There is also disruption on the transport network, with strikes affecting train travel, Paris public transport and flights - full details HERE."

"But as the action got underway on Wednesday morning, the first direct actions were a series of roadblocks and blockades across the country - mostly targeting the highway network and the ringroads of cities. Many of these actions are fast moving, involving only a small number of activists, and in most areas are being cleared quickly by police, although there is still knock-on traffic disruption."

"Actions include erecting barricades, setting fires on the highway and blocking the peage (tollbooth) points on motorways. Blockades on city ringroads including Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes and Caen were erected on Wednesday morning. The Paris peripherique (ringroad) was targeted at several points including Porte de Montreuil and Porte de la Chapelle. In Lyon a roadblock had been erected on the A7 at Pont Gallieni. There have been other smaller blockades which were quickly cleared, including at the peage (tollbooth) near Poitiers"

Bloquons Tout aims to bring France to a halt in protest at planned national austerity measures and the unpopular government of Emmanuel Macron. Tactics range from calls for people to stay home to fast-moving direct actions by small numbers of activists. Early actions included roadblocks and blockades across highways and city ringroads, with barricades, fires and tollbooth obstructions. Specific disruptions occurred on the Paris peripherique, A7 at Pont Gallieni, and ringroads in Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes and Caen, with smaller blockades near Poitiers and Brest. Strikes affected trains, Paris public transport and flights. About 80,000 police were deployed and many blockades were quickly cleared, but traffic knock-on persisted.

Read at www.thelocal.fr