Why this movement?
Behind the slogan “Let’s block everything,” a social protest sprang up this summer on social media. Purchasing power, government decisions, daily worries... The rallying cry: to halt things to make their voices heard. Supported by several unions, including the CGT, the movement is organized in a decentralized way, with general assemblies and surprise actions.
What to remember in Lille this morning
From dawn, several key locations were disrupted. On the A1 and A25, drivers experienced up to an hour of traffic jams before things gradually returned to normal. The Amazon warehouse in Lauwin-Planque was blocked as early as 5 AM, while high school students rallied in front of Pasteur and Montebello. In Valenciennes and Dunkirk, filter blocks also slowed down traffic. The prefecture had set the stage: 80,000 police officers...Police and gendarmes are deployed nationwide, with a strong presence in Lille.
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When Lille establishments go on strike
The movement is also affecting places of life. Several establishments in Lille have decided to close their doors this Wednesday. This includes the cooperative bar-restaurant Les Oiseaux, the feminist bookstore L'Affranchie, the cooperative cafés-bars Les Sarrazins, and The Magic Bus, bars La Griffe and Lokarria, the microbrewery Le Singe Savant, and the solidarity thrift store Ephatha. They all clearly support the movement “Bloquons tout” and want to raise awareness about a national mobilization deemed essential to defend the most vulnerable.
The Café Citoyen has chosen to close until the end of the demonstration, and will donate its profits to an inter-union strike fund. Moulinette, the citizen café on Boulevard Victor Hugo, remains open but only during adjusted hours and without credit card payments. This is a way to support the movement while keeping its doors open.
And this afternoon?
It's hard to predict the exact scale of the movement in Lille, but the big demonstration is confirmed for 2:30 PM, Porte de Paris. It has the support of the CGT and several student unions, although no blockades have been announced on the campuses.
University of Lille. However, Telegram groups are calling to multiply spontaneous actions.