France "Bloquons tout" protests disrupt roads, rail hubs, and airport transfers

Published on Sep 10, 2025, 9:52 am CDT

6 min read

Coordinated "Bloquons tout" actions on September 10 triggered rolling roadblocks, brief station intrusions, and scattered transit slowdowns in Paris and across major French cities. Police deployed in force to clear barricades on ring roads and key arteries while demonstrators gathered near central squares and rail hubs. Paris transfer times to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, CDG, and Paris Orly Airport, ORY, lengthened in peaks, though metro service largely held. A separate nationwide air traffic control strike is slated for September 18 to 19.

Key Points

Why it matters: Transfers to CDG and ORY faced longer, less predictable journeys during peak protest windows.
Travel impact: Short-lived blockades hit the Paris Périphérique, with attempted incursions at Paris Gare du Nord and Marseille-Saint-Charles.
What's next: The SNCTA has called a 24-hour ATC strike from the morning of September 18 to the end of September 19. Airlines will publish plans.

Snapshot

Police reported hundreds of arrests nationwide as protesters attempted to slow traffic and briefly enter stations. In Paris, gatherings formed around République, Châtelet, and Gare du Nord, where the Transilien concourse saw a short evacuation before rail service resumed. On the roads, authorities dispersed barricades on the Périphérique and cleared scattered block points in Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes, Caen, and Lyon, including a disruption on the A7. A bus fire under a bridge in Rennes forced a ring road closure. Despite street actions, Paris Metro lines mostly operated near normal, while suburban and regional services experienced sporadic delays, especially around intrusion sites or vandalism reports. Expect intermittent slowdowns near stations and squares into the evening commute.

Background

The "Bloquons tout" call to "block everything" emerged online over the summer, drawing support from multiple left-leaning groups and student organizations. The day of action coincided with Sébastien Lecornu taking office as prime minister, following the government's collapse after François Bayrou lost a no-confidence vote. Authorities deployed about 80,000 police nationwide, including several thousand in Paris, to prevent a full shutdown. Similar to the early Yellow Vest pattern, today's actions focused on symbolic arterials, toll points, and rail hubs rather than formal citywide marches. Operators warned of possible station intrusions, cable damage, and rolling delays on select regional lines, although high-speed trains largely ran.

Latest Developments

Roadblocks ease quickly, but transfer times still swell

Morning and midday brought rapid-cycling block points on the Paris Périphérique and approaches, with short holds observed at gates including Porte de Bagnolet and other eastern junctions. Lyon authorities responded to barricades along the A7 corridor. In Rennes, a bus set ablaze under a bridge forced a partial ring road closure pending inspections. Police also reported cleared attempts at péage blockages outside Poitiers and on the outskirts of Brest. Travelers reported longer taxi and ride-hail times and occasional detours via inner arrondissements. Officials emphasized a strategy of quick dispersal to keep main arteries moving, albeit at reduced speeds during operations.

Station flashpoints, brief evacuations, and localized rail delays

In Paris, demonstrators attempted to enter Paris Gare du Nord; police dispersed the crowd, and the Transilien concourse was briefly evacuated. Eurostar listed at least one delay citing people near tracks at Gare du Nord. Marseille-Saint-Charles saw an attempted occupation. SNCF reported acts of vandalism affecting cables, leading to delays between Bordeaux and Toulouse and in the Toulouse suburbs. While Paris Metro service was broadly normal, suburban RER and Transilien lines experienced intermittent slowdowns around affected nodes.

Airport transfer workarounds for CDG and ORY

For CDG, RER B generally remained the fastest rail link when unobstructed, with evening maintenance closures after 10:45 p.m. continuing on select dates. During protest peaks or if Gare du Nord was saturated, viable alternates included Roissybus from Opéra, taxi or ride-hail via the A1 corridor with extra buffer, and, for some travelers, TGV from major cities directly to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV. For ORY, the Orlyval plus RER B interchange at Antony, Orlybus from Denfert-Rochereau, or taxis via the A6 were the main options. Authorities and tourism officials advised avoiding known gathering points such as République, Châtelet, Forum des Halles, Place du Panthéon, and Gare du Nord when plotting surface transfers.

Analysis

For travelers, the key distinction today was the protest cadence. Instead of citywide paralysis, actions pulsed at specific choke points, then were cleared. That kept the Metro largely reliable, but it injected unpredictability into suburban rail and road transfers, especially near stations and ring road gates. The practical takeaway is margin. For CDG and ORY on protest days, add at least a one-hour buffer on top of normal guidance, pre-download offline tickets in the Bonjour RATP app, and keep multiple routing options prepared. When station intrusions occur, surface detours around République, Châtelet, Nation, and Gare du Nord help avoid crowding. Taxis can still be efficient if drivers can pivot between the Périphérique and inner boulevards, but cost and variability rise with each hold. Looking ahead, the SNCTA action from September 18 to 19 is structurally different, since ATC staffing constraints propagate to flight plans across French airspace. Expect proactive airline thinning, wider European knock-ons, and earlier check-in cutoffs once carrier programs publish.

Final Thoughts

Today's "Bloquons tout" actions created friction points rather than a freeze, yet the experience for airport-bound travelers was still choppy. If you are transferring to CDG or ORY during similar actions, build options around RER B, Orlyval, Roissybus, and taxi detours, and avoid central gathering squares. Monitor airline communications closely for the September 18 to 19 SNCTA walkout, which will push carriers to thin schedules and modify routings. With layered buffers and flexible routing, you can navigate France's "Bloquons tout" protests with fewer surprises.