Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov is proud that the French are using the messenger for strikes and protests against the policies of the French authorities.
„I am proud that Telegram has become a tool for protests in France against Macron's failed policies. After 8 years of oblivion, the French are tired of empty PR and posturing by the authorities - and now they are striking back“, Durov writes in X.
Protests and strikes against the government's economic policies are planned in France for September 10. The first calls for „blocking the country“ on this day, according to French media, appeared on the Internet back in May, but they gained wide distribution after the July statement of Prime Minister François Bayrou, who proposed to make several public holidays working days and to take austerity measures that should bring almost 44 billion euros to the budget.
As the France Info radio station notes, the movement does not have a specific leader, and the initiative comes from various local activists, who can be both from the far left and the far right. Among them are former participants in the protests of the “Yellow Vests“ movement. They offer various options for protest - from strikes and demonstrations to complete self-isolation at home without visiting cultural events and shops. There are also calls to abandon bank cards and switch to cash payments or to civil disobedience.
The French Ministry of the Interior expects up to 100 thousand people to participate in various events across the country. Due to the threat of riots, 80,000 police and gendarmes will be deployed on the streets of French cities. Interior Minister Bruno Retaileau said he had given clear instructions to law enforcement officers to strictly quell any unrest and to "detain as many as possible."