Riots and widespread unrest gripped France just a day after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his choice for the new prime minister. Demonstrators flooded the streets of Paris on Wednesday under the banner of the “Block Everything” movement, intensifying the pressure on Macron to step down.

After removing François Bayrou, Macron appointed his close confidant Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister. At 39, Lecornu becomes the fifth person to hold the post in less than two years, reflecting the country’s ongoing political instability. His first hours in office were immediately overshadowed by protests, which many have described as a “baptism by fire.”

On Wednesday, protesters marched through Paris chanting “Bloquons Tout,” or “Block Everything.” Roads were barricaded, fires were set, and a bus was torched. According to the Interior Ministry, at least 200 people were detained. The unrest also damaged parts of the national railway’s power supply.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau denounced the violence, accusing protesters of deliberately trying to stir “a climate of insurrection.” He confirmed that nearly 80,000 security personnel had been deployed nationwide, including 6,000 in the capital alone.

Footage circulating online showed burning trash piles, overturned dumpsters, and clashes between crowds and police officers.

Since winning re-election in 2022, Macron has faced repeated calls to resign. The latest demonstrations revived that demand. One protester described his decision to appoint Lecornu as “a slap in the face,” while a union representative from the RATP transport network told reporters, “It’s the same problem, Macron is the issue, not his ministers.”

This is not the first time France has been rocked by major unrest. In 2023, violent protests followed the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk. The same year, more than a million people marched against the government’s pension reforms. In 2024, farmers staged nationwide strikes over food prices, subsidy cuts, and trade agreements with South America.

Despite the mounting anger, Macron has insisted he will not resign. He also criticized opposition parties, accusing them of being “irresponsible” and motivated by “a hunger for power.”

The protests in Nepal, led largely by young people, quickly escalated into violence that left the country shaken. Demonstrators, angry over the blocking of social media platforms, turned their anger on political leaders. Among the most shocking incidents was the assault on five-time prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana Deuba, who were both seen injured in videos circulated online.

On Monday, Kathmandu was gripped by chaos as police opened fire on the swelling crowds, leaving nineteen people dead. The following day, unrest intensified with government buildings and politicians’ residences set ablaze. Protesters targeted several senior leaders, including former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal, whose wife Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar died after being trapped inside their burning home.

Former prime minister KP Sharma Oli also faced the fury of the crowds. Hours before his resignation, demonstrators torched his private residence in Balkot and damaged properties linked to President Ram Chandra Poudel, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prithvi Subba Gurung, and Ramesh Lekhak. Eyewitnesses reported widespread arson at the homes and offices of political figures. Alarmed by the spiraling violence, the Nepali Army and security agencies urged both sides to exercise restraint and seek dialogue.

Although the government lifted the social media ban on Tuesday, anger persisted. Many protesters shifted their focus to corruption and the widening gap between political elites and ordinary citizens. Frustration also grew around nepotism, with resentment directed at the privileged lifestyles of politicians’ children compared to the bleak job prospects of most youth.

Nepal’s unemployment crisis has left many young people disillusioned. With nearly one in five unemployed, and over two thousand leaving the country daily in search of work abroad, the unrest has come to symbolize a generation’s deep frustration.

President Poudel appealed for calm and accepted Oli’s resignation, appointing him to head a caretaker government. But uncertainty remains over how much authority he still holds and whether the crisis can be defused.