After Nepal, France erupts: 80,000 security forces deployed amid violence fears

Paris (The Uttam Hindu): After the mass movement against corruption in Nepal, now France is also engulfed in the fire of large-scale protests. Under this movement named 'Block Everything', violent clashes took place between protesters and police in the capital Paris and other major cities on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, masked protesters blocked roads with trash cans and barricades. In cities such as Bordeaux and Marseille, crowds occupied intersections and threw bottles and flares at police. The Gare du Nord station, a major Paris rail hub was also attacked by protesters.

This violence in France has erupted at a time when just 24 hours ago President Emmanuel Macron appointed Sebastian Lecornu as the new Prime Minister of the country. Lecornu has replaced François Bayrou, who had to resign after losing the trust vote. In fact, Bayrou had presented a plan for government cuts of £35 billion (about Rs 3.7 lakh crore) against which there was a lot of anger among the public and due to this his government fell. Now with the coming of the new government people have again come out on the streets.

In view of the deteriorating situation, the government has deployed more than 80,000 police and security forces across the country. More than 200 people have been arrested in Paris for disrupting public order. Authorities fear that the crowd may become more violent as the day progresses. According to media reports, protesters are blocking rail and road traffic as well as targeting oil depots, supermarkets and petrol pumps.