‘Block Everything’: A hashtag that turned into Macron's big political crisis

What began as a social media slogan has now erupted into one of the biggest political crises of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency. The movement known as ‘Block Everything’ (Bloquons tout) emerged in May on fringe right-wing forums but quickly migrated across the political spectrum.

By early September, it had been embraced by parts of the left and far-left, gaining mass traction through hashtags like #10septembre2025 and #10septembre on X, TikTok, Telegram and Facebook

On Wednesday, the online fervour became physical. Protesters lit barricades, obstructed highways and clashed sporadically with riot police across France. While many demonstrations remained peaceful, almost 300 people were arrested nationwide.

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In Paris, students and even school-age children joined the ranks, swelling numbers in a protest that fused anger at the political elite with resentment toward looming austerity measures, Reuters reported.

Austerity as a trigger

At the heart of the unrest lies the 2026 budget plan introduced by Prime Minister François Bayrou in mid-July. The plan called for slashing €43.8 billion from the national budget in an effort to rein in France’s spiralling deficit. Among the most contentious measures were proposals to abolish two national holidays, freeze pensions and cut €5 billion from the healthcare system.

The plan proved politically toxic. On September 8, Bayrou’s government lost a parliamentary confidence vote, forcing his resignation and leaving France once again in political limbo. Historians suggested that this collapse may embolden demonstrators even further, France24 said in its report.

Beyond the budget: A broader revolt

Although the budget cuts sparked initial anger, the “Block Everything” movement quickly grew into something larger. On its since-removed website, the collective of roughly 20 organisers demanded not just the preservation of public holidays, but sweeping reinvestment in public services and a halt to job cuts.

Their calls for boycotts against retailers like Amazon and Carrefour, withdrawals from major banks and occupations of symbolic public buildings reflected the anti-establishment tone.

Social media posts tied to the movement went viral, with one statement garnering over 1.5 million views declaring: “We won’t pay anymore, we won’t consume anymore, we won’t work anymore, and we will keep our children at home. Our only power is a total boycott.”

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For many, the anger stems from a deeper sense of exclusion. Paul Smith of the University of Nottingham was quoted by France24 saying that “it’s become about the idea of people feeling left behind”.

Echoing the 2018 Yellow Vest protests, demonstrators expressed frustration not only with economic hardship but also with what they see as a political system unresponsive to ordinary citizens.

A movement without leaders

One reason for the movement’s unpredictability is its lack of centralised leadership. Like the Yellow Vests before it, “Block Everything” thrives on grassroots mobilisation, making it difficult for authorities to anticipate or control its actions.

The first online calls for a September 10 protest came months before Bayrou’s budget plan, originating from the anti-government group Les Essentiels France. Analysts have warned of possible manipulation by foreign actors, though most evidence suggests domestic frustration as the driving force, Reuters said.

Despite claims of being apolitical, the movement’s base skews left-wing. A survey by the Fondation Jean-Jaurès found that 69 per cent of its supporters had voted for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Unbowed in 2022, compared to just 2 per cent for Macron and 3 per cent for Marine Le Pen.

Analysts suggest that while the Yellow Vests were focussed primarily on economic insecurity, “Block Everything” supporters display a sharper politicisation and a desire to act on behalf of collective interests.

Macron faces a security dilemma

The French government is treating the protests as a potential national security crisis. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has vowed zero tolerance, deploying 80,000 police officers amid warnings that demonstrators might target airports, train stations and highways.

“We will not tolerate any blockage, any violence,” Retailleau told France 2, though he acknowledged the underlying anger.

For President Macron, the stakes are existential. His government has already suffered the resignation of four prime ministers in under two years. Now, with Bayrou ousted and the budget in limbo, Macron is facing renewed calls for constitutional reform, higher taxes on the rich, and even his own resignation.

Murky alliances and union ambivalence

Although grassroots in origin, the ‘Block Everything’ protests have attracted political opportunists. Figures from both the extreme right and hard left have attempted to harness its energy, with Melenchon emerging as a vocal supporter. Still, the movement has failed to gain unified backing from France’s trade unions.

The CFDT, the country’s largest union, has condemned Bayrou’s budget but declined to join the September 10 protests. Instead, unions have planned their own strikes on September 18. Only the CGT, historically France’s most radical union, pledged to mobilise alongside the ‘Block Everything’ activists.

Analysts warn that this fragmented support could make the movement harder to control as grassroots protests tend to be “much less controlled, and much less organised” than union-led strikes.

Echoes of the Yellow Vests

Comparisons to the 2018 Yellow Vest movement are inevitable. That earlier wave of unrest, sparked by fuel taxes, ballooned into months of violent clashes and nationwide blockades that forced Macron into costly concessions. Though less organised and lacking a physical emblem like the yellow vest, ‘Block Everything’ channels a similar cocktail of disillusionment, anger at inequality and resentment toward the political class.

Whether the protests fade or grow depends largely on what comes next in France’s political calendar. Without a government or budget, the country faces paralysis. With unions planning their own mobilisations and leftist leaders seizing the moment, ‘Block Everything’ could mark the start of a prolonged cycle of unrest.

For now, one fact is clear. A hashtag born on the margins of the internet has forced itself to the centre of French politics, shaking Macron’s presidency and revealing once again the combustible mix of austerity, mistrust and social anger simmering in France.