Pattern #010: The Block Everything

How mass protests become a test of a new form of social control

The standoff in France under the slogan "Bloquons tout" — "Block Everything". Protests are spreading rapidly. More than 400 actions have been recorded across the country, including 106 blockades. In Aurillac, children threw "styrofoam" stones at bank buildings during the "Block Everything" demonstration on September 10. The movement called for a general strike and a nationwide shutdown on September 10, 2025, in protest against the austerity measures proposed by the government of Prime Minister François Bayrou.

The Core of the Pattern

"Block Everything" is not chaos.

It is a mirror of the system.

When a movement calls for a total shutdown, it is not just an economic protest.

It is a reverse demonstration of how the control stack works:

Physical blockades → test the authorities' reaction
Styrofoam stones → demonstrate the symbolism of violence
Children in protests → signal that the next generation is already in the system

The protest is not against the system.

It reveals its architecture.

Where the Pattern Manifests

Level	How It Works
🔹 Level 1: Physical Control	More than 400 actions, 106 blockades — create an effect of "omnipresent failure". Every road, station, and bank is a point of tension. This is not a local riot. It is synchronized pressure on the infrastructure.
🔹 Level 2: Technological Control	Organization without a center: Social media instead of leaders Encrypted channels for coordination AI-generated posters and slogans → This is a decentralized action network where each node is autonomous.
🔹 Level 3: Informational Control	The government says: "This is anarchy." The movement says: "This is justice." The media focus on styrofoam stones, not the causes. The information field becomes an arena for the struggle over the agenda, not for solutions.
🔹 Level 4: Consciousness	The slogan "Bloquons tout" is genius. It does not offer an alternative. It says: "If the system stops us, we will stop the system." This is the new norm: resistance = paralysis.

Sources

All data is public, verifiable, and dated.

Connection to Other Patterns

→ Pattern #007: The Land Canal — How control over flows becomes a key resource

→ Pattern #009: The Distributed Strike — How decentralized actions create systemic pressure

Why This Matters

Because the control system is only stable as long as it functions.

When mass refusal to function begins, it reveals how fragile its foundation is.

The same thing is happening in other areas:

Workers engage in "quiet quitting"

Cities are overwhelmed by traffic

Networks are shut down due to energy riots

Now, protest has also become systemic:

It does not ask for change.

It demonstrates vulnerability.

Tool: How to Recognize a "Zero Activity Movement"

(Template for analyzing any protest based on shutdown)

Is the goal of the movement not change, but system shutdown?
Is the language of "everything", "no compromises", "to the end" used?
Is there decentralization (no leaders, no central headquarters)?
Are children, students, and new groups involved as a signal of norm transmission?
Is informational noise created that prevents the government from formulating a response?

If "yes" to 3+ — this is not a protest.

It is a strategic demonstration of the system's vulnerability.

Conclusion

"Block Everything" is not a cry of pain.

It is a strategic understanding:

Whoever can stop the flow temporarily controls reality.

The next step is not suppression.

It is restructuring the system so that it works even when no one supports it.

But the question remains:

What happens if that doesn't help either?

The Control Stack — analytical model launched in August 2025.

9/12/25