Why did the nationwide lockdown movement on September 10th in France arise?
On September 10th, as France welcomed its third prime minister of the year, a nationwide lockdown movement that had started online was launched across the country. According to information released by the French Ministry of the Interior at midday, nearly 30,000 people participated in 430 different forms of actions across the country. Among them, 157 were actions blocking roads or entrances. However, from the morning situation, it did not lead to national paralysis. This movement was sparked by an online call and responded widely. The budget plan introduced by the government in mid-July, which significantly reduced public spending, seems to be the trigger for this movement. Analysts believe that this spontaneous movement reflects the accumulated grievances of the people and exposes the crisis faced by the current representative democracy in France.
In the early morning, before it was fully light, many participants had already gathered on the streets, blocking roads or surrounding the entrances of companies or universities. Demonstrators confronted the police who tried to disperse the crowd. The government deployed 80,000 police officers across the country.
The disruption of public transportation is the biggest concern for office workers. However, on that morning, the Paris metro operated basically normally.
The confrontation between the demonstrators and the police was generally peaceful. However, in Paris, the police had summoned dozens of people. The confrontation between the police and students blocking the gates of universities also became tense, with the police releasing tear gas.
This protest action was entirely initiated freely by the public through the Internet. There were no organizing groups, nor any clear leaders. Participants or supporters had diverse demands, but they mainly focused on economic and social issues.
The government's choice to increase defense spending against the backdrop of budget cuts seems to have further stimulated the dissatisfaction accumulated over the years due to the lack of funding and difficult operations in various public service departments. Some protesters held up slogans such as "No war budget" and "Hospitals need money."
Professor Kevin Arceneaux from the Department of Political Science at Sciences Po and head of the Political Research Center told Reuters that this sense of discontent involves the entire society, both the rich and the poor. Antoine Bristielle, head of the Public Opinion Observatory of the Jean Jaurès Foundation, told AFP that this movement reflects the public's distrust in the political system, not just targeting the current administration since 2017. Moreover, this movement is a horizontal mobilization model, keeping distance from trade unions and political parties. The composition of the movement members also shows a different pattern from the Yellow Vest protests in 2018-2019.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842893255068939/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.