Organizer of October 17 protests backs ongoing uprisings and calls for nationwide blockades

Benjamin Ball, one of the co-organisers of the October 17 protests against rising living costs, issued a statement refusing to denounce the violence that broke out in several cities. He expressed solidarity with the “revolts that are erupting everywhere in the country” and described the public anger as legitimate. Ball, who runs the portal 17octobregiletjaune.net that listed the actions of that day, also highlighted his involvement in previous climate demonstrations and the September 2025 “Bloquons tout” movement.

He now urges participants to maintain logistical disruptions and to prepare for a repeatable general blockade beginning on November 5. This call echoes the inter-syndical inter-professional union coalition of CFDT, CGT, FO, Unsa and FSU, which has already announced a nationwide strike on that date to demand higher wages, better public services, employment and industrial policy. The CGT has similarly urged continued peaceful mobilisation by students and workers and warned that government repression fuels the escalation of violence.