At the heart of the “Block Everything” movement: “This time, no more complaints, we have to hit hard”

The room, located on the first floor of a small association and union complex, quickly proved too small. Under the false ceilings, shouts of voices echoed. “Let’s fold the tables, we’ll save space!” shouted one of the activists as dozens of others poured in. “Let’s go outside!” finally resolved the assembly, overwhelmed by the success of a message posted on Telegram a few days earlier. There were “boomers” there, as François Bayrou would say, young people too, people who knew each other little or nothing. A good fifty people with a single desire that evening in the city center of Alençon, 55,000 inhabitants, in the Orne department, two and a half hours west of Paris: to “block everything” on Wednesday, September 10.

One is wearing a fluorescent vest. Someone calls out to him: “Did you put on your yellow vest?” “Yeah, I was six years wrong,” laughs this forty-something. The atmosphere isn’t exactly relaxed, though. The presence of the press immediately electrifies the group. One: “We have to get them out, or we won’t talk!” Another: “The media are going to betray us again!” A third: “I thought this assembly was open to everyone?” Distrust must be quelled. No photos, no names, they promise. A vote is held by show of hands. A good third of them demand a closed session.