Crisis-hit France is on the verge of mass civil unrest with some warning of an insurrection after the surprise collapse of President Emmanuel Macron's government on Monday.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote of MPs over his austerity budget, plunging the country into political turbulence as it teeters on the brink of economic crisis over spiralling debt.
Now, politicians and the police are bracing for further chaos on Wednesday as a national day of disruption organised by furious anti-Macron protesters threatens to bring the divided nation to a total standstill.
Called Bloquons Tout or 'Let’s block everything', the general strike led by unions is expected to bring together some 100,000 demonstrators who will walk out of the office, boycott businesses, stage sit-ins and blockade streets. On September 18, several unions are also calling for more demonstrations.
But French interior minister Bruno Retailleau last night warned that the day of unrest could spiral beyond the bounds of normal protest and transform into an 'insurrectional climate'.
