September 18 Protests: Get to Know What’s at Play This Thursday
Just a week after the Bloquons Tout protest movement, the people of France will be back in the streets on September 18th to express their disagreement with the country’s lawmaking.
Pharmacies, airport and train station workers as well as school teachers and more will helm the bulk of the manifestations.
Taking care of the caretakers
French pharmacies had tried making themselves heard back during the summer holidays, contesting “a death sentence for vulnerable pharmacies”: a decree published on August 6 that reduces the cap on discounts for pharmacies from laboratories, making it harder for pharmacies with lesser funds to purchase and sell generic drugs.
Unions expect the pharmacies to show out for a “historical mobilization”, which is also expected to go on every Saturday starting September 27.
Black Thursday, in the sky and on the ground
Philippe Tabarot, outgoing Minister of Transports, labelled this upcoming strike as a “Black Thursday”, with multiple unions hoping to limit efforts from railway and airport workers.
The largest impact will be felt in the latter category, with multiple of the biggest air traffic control unions, including FO Air France and PNC, calling for workers to strike on Thursday. The SNCTA, the biggest union of the sector, was planning a protest on Thursday, which has since been reported to October.
On the ground, both SNCF and RATP syndicates have called for a strike this Thursday. The unions are mostly contesting the 2026 budget plan, as well as private disloyal competitors, which affect their revenue.
Hectic timing
Other institutions like schools, hospitals and more will also be closed or provide limited services to contest the 2026 budget plan on September 18. But with the nomination of Sebastien Lecornu as fifth Prime Minister under the Macron presidency, this protest intervenes at a strange time in the grand scheme of French politics.
This Thursday will be one of the first big challenges the PM will face, just a week after Bloquons Tout. The actions of the September 18 protests could rock the country much more than last week’s movement, which still saw between 200 and 250 thousand protesters all throughout the country.
To learn more about the September 18 protests, listen to the full World Radio Paris Presents episode