Protesters are staging demonstrations across France, disrupting traffic, burning rubbish bins and at times clashing with police in a bid to "Block Everything" in anger at the political class and planned budget cuts.

Security forces deployed across the country to try to remove any blockades as fast as possible, officials said, meaning that France was, for now, not blocked.

Dozens of protesters were arrested on Wednesday and there were some scuffles with police.

The demonstrations took place at a time of political turmoil: two days after parliament ousted Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in a confidence vote over his plans to tame the country's ballooning debt.

On Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron appointed his fifth prime minister in less than two years, choosing a close ally, Sebastien

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