Report (with pictures) by the RCIT France, 10 September 2025, www.thecommunists.net
Preface from the Editorial Board: Below we publish a report from our comrades of the RCIT France. It is evident that the political situation in France in characterised by a deep crisis of the Macron regime and the strengthening of left-wing as well as right-wing forces. It is the responsibility of left-wing parties and trade unions to organise a determined response by preparing for a massive general strike against the capitalist austerity policy and to bring down the Macron regime. In order to push back the reactionary RN and other right-wing racist forces, socialists need to advocate the creation of an authentic workers government which decisively breaks with the capitalist system and opens the road to socialism. This is all the more relevant as we are living in a period of explosive contradictions where the masses are increasingly rebelling against the oppressors – from Palestine to Indonesia and Nepal!
On the 10th September more than 800 demonstrations and strikes took place in France. Those touched the big cities as well as the small towns and sometimes even villages. Roads were blocked early in the morning and public spaces occupied by the protesters. According to the trade unions, 250,000 people participated in the protests (175,000 according to the police).
At the “Place du Chatelet“ where we intervened, around 500 protesters stayed and occupied the street. Among them, we have seen various unions, such as the CGT, the CNT, Solidaire and SUD, the latest being particularly involved in today’s actions leading three strikes in Paris. Some political organisations were also there, such as RP, the UCL and the NPA-R which initiated a lot of slogans taken up by the crowd. The Lambertist POI as well as Alan Woods’ RCI were also present.
The protest was a reaction to two decisions of the state. The first one was the “Budget Bayrou“ by the name of François Bayrou, the former prime minister. This state budget plan dangerously threatened social services by proceeding to a cut of 43 billions euros while increasing the state assistance to the enterprises and firms by 900 millions. Those cuts would have had such consequences as an “année blanche“ (“white year”) so the deindexation of all the social benefits or the removal of two public holidays.
The “Budget Bayrou“ and the anger it provoked led the government to launch a vote of confidence on the 8th September. This vote was lost by the macroniste (Ensemble Party) as both the left-wing as well as the far-right opposition voted against the Bayrou government. As a result Bayrou resigned only to be replaced in the evening by another member of Ensemble, the former Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu much appreciated by the right and far-right. This announcement provoked huge indignation among the masses, considering that the Ensemble Party, as a parliamentary minority, should not monopolize once more this function.
The state mobilised the repression apparatus. Around 80 000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed around the country and a last-minute drone surveillance unleashed over the major cities. Water cannons, trucks and special anti-riot units were mobilised such as the infamous BRAV-M. At the moment, 473 arrests have been confirmed but this number could increase during the night.
Among the slogans shared in the street, many had a more general character like “Siamo tutti antifascisti“ or “On est là même si macron le veut pas“ (We are here even if Macron does not want it). Nonetheless, some were more specific such as “Nous sommes tous des enfants de Gaza“ (We all are children of Gaza) and sometimes aiming for a specific demand such as “Macron démission“ (Macron resign!).
Comrades of the RCIT France participated in the demonstration in Paris and sold a number of our new French-language journal “Communisme révolutionnaire”
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