Main events:
- Around 3,000 taxi drivers in several French cities stage anti-UberPop protests
- Paris peripherique reopened after being blocked in both directions
- Road access to Gare du Nord station blocked in Paris
- Clashes reported between police and taxi drivers at Porte Maillot, in the north west of Paris
- Tensions high at airports as reports of taxi drivers “hunting” UberPop drivers
- Several Uber drivers have reported being attacked
- Interior Minister demands decree to ban UberPop in Paris.
France moved on Thursday to crackdown on ride-sharing service UberPop after nationwide protests by taxi drivers turned violent.
As taxi drivers vented their anger by burning cars and bringing cities to a standstill France's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve ordered the Paris police to implement a ban on UberPop in the capital.
“I have given instructions, considering the grave problems with public order and the development of this illegal activity, to the police prefecture in Paris to ban UberPop activities,” said Cazeneuve.
The city's police department later took out a decree banning the controversial smartphone app that puts customers in touch with private drivers at prices lower than those of traditional taxis.
Cazeneuve also pointed out that Uber could be guilty of the crime of “illicit transportation of people” under article 40 of the penal code, that could be punished by two years in prison and a €300,000.
In another move aimed at calming the protests union leaders were invited to the Prime Minister's office at Matignon, but given PM Manuel Valls was out of the country the offer was turned down and calls went out to continue the protests.
Some 2,800 cabbies took part in Thursday's strike, with more than 30 blockades nationwide, including the access points to Paris's Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports, police sources said.
Cabbies are angry that UberPOP has been allowed to continue in France despite being banned since January. But their frustrations spilled over and resulted in a number of ugly incidents around the country.
In Paris rock star Courtney love's car was attacked as it left Charles de Gaulle airport leaving her to rebuke President François Hollande demanding ” where are the f**king police.
François Hollande where are the fucking police??? is it legal for your people to attack visitors? Get your ass to the airport. Wtf???
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) June 25, 2015
One private chauffeur, who said he did not work for Uber “or any other app” was dragged from his van by angry cabbies when he reached a blockade in the west of Paris. They slashed his tyres, smashed a window and then set it on fire.
“Why did you come to work, you know we're on strike today,” shouted one cabbie, while AFP journalists saw another car on fire further down the road.
Access to three terminals at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport in the north was blocked and cabs were converging on the Orly airport in the south and at train stations inside the city.
There were reports of passengers having to walk along the motorway to the airport.
#Taxis “Des gens filent à pied jusqu'à l'aéroport de Roissy, 30 à 50 minutes avec leur valise” @simon_ruben #E1matin pic.twitter.com/JCpVBtNk1B“
— info75 (@encolere75) June 25, 2015
#roissy #taxis Ca doit donner envie aux gens de prendre un #taxis tout ça !!! pic.twitter.com/CpEHXXAAHl
— Nurbo Libra (@NurboLibra) June 25, 2015
Grève #Taxis: “On s'est pris un énorme pavé, ma cliente a un bébé, c'est inadmissible” (Un chauffeur Uberx / @itele) pic.twitter.com/iTU9Lw3Fau
— iTELE (@itele) June 25, 2015
There was also tension at Orly airport where a VTC driver reportedly ran over a taxi driver.
Grève des #Taxis > Un chauffeur de taxi a été renversé par un #VTC près de l'aéroport d'#Orly (police à @itele) pic.twitter.com/drNtgt3Otr
— iTELE (@itele) June 25, 2015
Taxi drivers in Paris also blocked access to Gare du Nord rail station. At one point taxi drivers pelted the car of one of their colleagues who was refusing to join the protest. The driver's customers had to be led away from the scene.
Taxi drivers started throwing eggs at a passing cab who wouldn't join their protest. pic.twitter.com/aY03Vqc8kt
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) June 25, 2015
One eye-witness told The Local: “I'm a Parisian and this is why I never take taxis. They're all crazy. They think they have a Monopoly. VTC drivers provide a good service but taxi drivers want the monopoly.”
Abdelkader Morghad, from the National Federation of Independent Taxi drivers told The Local on Thursday that the rules of the game were not fair.
“UberPop is completely illegal in France, but people are still able to download the app and drivers are still able to pick them up and earn money. How can you explain that? That’s the real frustration for us.”
SEE ALSO: Why French public should support their their taxi drivers
This tweet below claims to show an Uber car that was turned upside down by taxi drivers, although it cannot be verified.
Un Uber retourné à la porte Maillot. #Taxis en colère #Paris. Uber go home ! pic.twitter.com/DqaX4dGeGU
— La Gazette du Taxi (@LaGazetteduTaxi) June 25, 2015
There were reports of blockades on roads around the cities of Lille, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon. The image in the pic below shows a passenger having to walk past burning tyres to get to Nice airport.
Des pneus brûlés lors de la #Grevedestaxis. Les passagers de @AeroportNice trouvent un passage entre les flammes. pic.twitter.com/fG1AF9cuGk
— France Bleu Azur (@francebleuazur) June 25, 2015
This week The Local reported how one UberPop client says he was beaten up by taxi drivers in Lyon.
On at least two occasions in Strasbourg last week, taxi drivers posed as customers in order to lure Uber drivers to isolated spots where they were assaulted by other cab drivers and their vehicles damaged.
US-based Uber, which offers several types ride-sharing services, claims to have 400,000 UberPOP users in France. However, the drivers do not pay taxes, do not undergo the 250 hours of training that is mandatory for cabbies and do not carry the same insurance as taxis.
Since UberPOP was banned in France, its drivers risk up to a year in prison and a €15,000 ($16,800) fine.
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