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For several days, on social networks, including X and Tiktok, users have been calling for a general strike and “blocking everything” on September 10. But where does this agitation come from and what do they claim?
“Let’s block everything” is the new protest movement that emerges on social networks, since François Bayrou’s presentation speech on the budgetary plan of the year 2026. During this speech, the Prime Minister announced budget cuts, the freezing of social benefits and proposed to suppress two holidays. Suggestions that are difficult to swallow for many French people.
“Stop injustices”
It was in July that this general strike project really exploded on social networks. According to Liberation, this movement comes from a video of the Tiktok account of essentials, an organization advocating “a sovereign France”. In the video, September 10 (an apparently meaningless date) is presented as “the day when France stops, to say stop to injustices …”
What ideology?
Officially, the collective claims to be “apolitical”. But it is complicated to know what are the intentions behind this movement … Always according to Liberation, many figures linked to the far right have relayed this initiative.
The unions have also reacted negatively to the speech of François Bayrou, but they have not yet agreed on the actions to be carried out.
More cautious political figures
Several departmental unions and federations of the CGT, including those of chemistry and trade, have already planned to mobilize on September 10. Some policies have supported this call, such as Clémentine Autain and Alexis Corbière. But most did not rule.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon assured on his blog recognizing himself in the “reasons for this action”, while emphasizing the importance of his “independence” as “a condition of his success”. He does not engage his party in this struggle.
“I do not have the impression that it works very strongly,” says a government source to AFP. While remaining careful: “We can be wrong, there were many who did not feel the yellow vests and they arrived …”
Different actions planned
The main action advocated by the movement is the strike. But other actions are put forward such as boycott, in particular “no longer buy in supermarkets”, actions of civil disobedience and “the peaceful occupation of symbolic places such as town halls”.