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INTERVIEW: A French Black Bloc rioter explains reasons for protest violence

They appear in the news almost weekly, smashing windows and setting fires, but who are France’s ‘Black Blocs’ and what do they want? Ingri Bergo talked to one activist about her life of violent protest.

INTERVIEW: A French Black Bloc rioter explains reasons for protest violence
A Black Bloc protester throws a stone during a protest in Paris on April 19th 2018. Photo: AFP

The phone call was supposed to come in sometime between 5pm and 6pm, from an anonymous person somewhere in France who would “likely be calling from a tabac”.

I got in touch with the French Black Bloc network after the most recent protest against the security draft law, on December 5th, which turned violent in several French cities. In Paris the masked, black-clad figures smashed shop windows, torched dozens of cars and launched violent attacks on the police.

These scenes are nothing new in France.

Demonstrations, of which there are many, generally follow the same pattern – thousands of people take to the streets to peacefully protest about an issue they feel strongly about. The march reaches its end point and at around 4-5pm dozens or sometimes hundreds of black-clad figures appear and begin creating mayhem. On December 5th the march had barely started moving before the violence started.

READ ALSO: Close to 100 arrests made at violent French demos against new security bill

Situation extrêmement tendue. Les forces de l’ordre se font repousser à coup de projectiles.#MarcheDesLibertés #Paris #5decembre #manifestation #StopLoiSécuritéGlobale pic.twitter.com/TGZRPcuvdT

— Yazid Bouziar (@ybouziar) December 5, 2020

In France, some of the violent protesters are described as casseurs – vandals or hooligans – who just turn up to cause trouble. Others, the more committed and extreme ones, are those part of movement known as the Black Bloc – even if the lines between the two seems increasingly blurred.

Black Bloc is the name of a protest strategy, but its members are usually associated with anarchism, anti-globalisation and anti-capitalism. In France their political ideology appears increasingly vague to onlookers as they turn up at the end of a wide variety of demos, from environmental protests to the ‘yellow vest’ marches of 2018-2019.

“If you rally 20,000 people for the cause of frozen beans today, you will get Black Blocs,” said Grégory Joron, a police officer and union representative, in the documentary “Police Attitude: 60 years of policing”, available on Public Senat. “Black Blocs are professional rioters.”

But we rarely hear from the Black Bloc themselves, who they are and what they want, which is how I ended up waiting for this mysterious phone call from somewhere in France.

Black Bloc protesters carry a banner reading “to fight” during a protest in Paris in April 2018. Photo: AFP

The woman on the line would not tell me her name of where she was calling from. She said she was a 35-year-old Parisian. Since she joined the movement six months ago she said she had no permanent address and moved around to wherever the next protest is.

She has not revealed her involvement in the movement to her family or friends, who she said would be unlikely to understand or support her.

Her involvement in the Black Blocs is recent, and followed losing her job in the restaurant industry as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown.

She said: “In the beginning (of the pandemic) I wore a mask, I followed all the rules. But then colleagues began to lose their jobs and people became depressed, at the same time as we had to listen to (government) ministers telling us that there would be financial help for those in need. But there wasn’t. At least we never got anything.

“I used to do different jobs in the restaurant sector, I had a stable income. I lost it all.

“So there you are, locked inside because of a flu, having to wear a mask for no reason, and you aren’t allowed to say anything. On top of that, you’re not getting paid and the bills start piling up.

“So anger begins to rise. Hatred rises. There is something within that needs to get out. I told myself that I need to get all that hatred out of my body, otherwise I would implode.”

She had not previously been involved in any political activism, saying: “To me, protests are just walking in the street. There is no point in that. Not now. Protesting worked when we had presidents who listened to the people, but this government doesn’t care.”

Black Bloc actions tend to hog the headlines because of their violence, and to protest organisers the high-profile stunts are an unwelcome distraction from the issue that they are trying to raise.

Black Bloc protesters throw cobblestones at a van in Paris during the annual May 1st Labour Day protest in 2019. Photo: AFP

Many also complain that the Black Bloc violence discredits the actions of thousands of peaceful protesters, and some even believe that the Black Bloc themselves are government agents, working to undermine protesters.

The Black Bloc are violent and frequently attack police. Some smash buildings and street furniture and torch cars that are parked along protest routes.

During the ‘yellow vest’ protest movement, French authorities estimated the cost of the damages, fires, thefts and pillages totalled some €217 millions. Nearly half, 41 percent, was damage inflicted on Parisian businesses.

Not all this can be contributed to Black Bloc, even if they are those who explicitly aim to smash and destroy along their way. But I asked this Black Bloc if she didn’t see a problem with all this collateral damage, of destroying the car or shop of someone who had nothing to do with either the government or the global financial elites.

She responded: “You should not park your car on a street where a protest is declared. The same goes for shop owners. If they stay open and get their windows smashed, they can’t complain – they knew that they were taking a calculated risk because they earn so much money during protests.

“I’m not saying that it’s entirely their fault, I feel sorry for them, but everyone is responsible for their own actions. We’re in 2020. There is always havoc during protests. 

“The goal is to show the government that we are angry, that we are ready to go really far. There are people now who are ready to lose their lives.” 

 

But what’s behind the violence, and do the Black Bloc today actually have a political ideology?

When they originated in the 1980s in Germany and spread in the early 2000s to the United States and internationally, their message was clear. The members were committed anarchists, anti-globalists and anti-capitalists.

They target banks and recent actions in Paris also targeted real estate agents as ‘agents of gentrification’.

READ ALSO: Who were the black-clad rioters in Paris and how can France stop them?

 
 
Black Bloc protesters take part in a protest against a proposed pension reform in Paris, on December 5th 2019. Photo: AFP
 

But this woman was describing a movement that had changed. She said many of those currently active were not convinced anti-capitalists who had a philosophical reasoning behind their violence. Rather, she said, they were lashing out in despair.

She said: “Some carry the anti-capitalist message of smashing up banks, but mostly there is just anger and hatred.

“Either we keep all that inside, get ill and end up on antidepressants, or we dress up in black and explode on the streets.”

 

 
 

French police have come in for criticism for being apparently unable to stop the almost-weekly explosions of violence at protests, and it often seems that their their only tactic is to start using tear gas once the Black Bloc appear, which frequently also affects all passers-by in an area, but the Black Bloc themselves are organised, secretive and difficult to infiltrate.

The activist explained: “When I participate in a protest I take the train in the evening before or in the morning. I do several tours of the city to avoid staying anywhere too long before the protest starts.

“I always bring an ice pick, a baton if I have to protect myself from the cops. I bring a change of clothes and balloons of paint to throw at the police. Personally, I don’t do things that are too violent. I’m not there to fight with the police.

ANALYSIS: How did France’s relationship with its own police get so bad?

“The movement is completely without hierarchy. We don’t know each other, there is no leader.

“We only communicate via [messaging apps] Telegram, or Signal and dark web. We never send emails.

“We pass messages by hand in order to give new people tips such as, wear gloves, wear a mask all the way through, don’t wear shoes with recognisable colours, don’t go straight from your house to the protest. Do like they do in (TV) series, take three detours first.

“There are cameras everywhere, if the police want to find you, they will.”

And the violence against police officers, hundreds of whom have been injured – some seriously – while policing demos?

“To me, that’s not a problem whatsoever. I’m all about “eye for eye, tooth for tooth”.

“We have a police force who have been beating up kids in the Paris banlieues for years without any reason. That they take a few kicks or hits during protests does not bother us at all.

“Not at all.”

Member comments

  1. This interview literally reads like a toddler trying to explain why they had a temper tantrum. I WAS ANGRY! WHY SHOULD I SUFFER (GET DEPRESSION) WHEN I CAN EXPLODE IN THE STREETS AND INCONVENIENCE EVERYONE AND HAVE A MELTDOWN THAT DESTROYS PROPERTY!!! “A temper tantrum is an angry outburst by someone who has lost their temper in reaction to something they didn’t want to happen.” — the literal definition of a temper tantrum which syncs so perfectly with this anonymous person’s reasoning. Was this supposed to make us feel sorry for the Black Bloc? Because this just makes me hate them even more. Depression is treatable. And you live in a country with amazing health care. Stop being selfish and manage your depression rather than destroying people’s lives and putting people in danger. My freaking GOD.

  2. This person is not talking about her depression, as per what @Claudia is suggesting.
    She’s talking about having had a good job, but now totally lost everything due to the incompetence of this awful government.
    I’m not condoning what this black bloc lady is doing, but she seems to have nothing left to lose, and a whole lot of debts piling up.
    I was expecting this violence actually. People are more than fed up. This government is not helping struggling people and many are committing suicide.
    @Claudia, have you any suggestions to offer people who are is this state? Any offers of help would be nice, instead of slagging them off?

  3. I agree with Claudia. Most of us are struggling with the effects of the lockdown. Plenty of us are struggling with anger and depression. Only an immature child would decide that instead of dealing with your problems, seeing a doctor, heck, leaving the country if you don’t have a home and a job anymore for somewhere with more freedom, you would decide to go destroy other people’s property and have a hissy-fit in the street. Those cars you’re torching? You don’t know who they belong to. Maybe that person has lost their job too. Maybe they were thinking of selling their car to pay their rent. Now that’s gone. Maybe it was a single mother who relies on that car to get to work. You have no idea, and you have no RIGHT to destroy a stranger’s property simply because you’re upset that life isn’t going your way. This is ridiculous. I thought maybe I’d learn some logical reason why these people are destroying other people’s livelihoods and homes and cars, but no. As she said, it’s a temper tantrum. I’m angry and depressed too. But you know what I do? I try to reach out to other people and make their day a little better. I try to be productive. I work for a better future. I talk to somebody. Maybe I scream and cry a bit too, but what good would it do to cause more pain and suffering to others when there is already more than enough? Shame on you, Black Bloc.

  4. I am an American living in France. I understand that people are upset and have lost a lot this year; I have, too. I also know that the French government has done a lot more for people during this pandemic than the American government has. Try living in a country like the US with zero safety net. None, even during “good” times. This woman sounds like a child who doesn’t know what to do with her anger. There are constructive ways to make change happen and to use one’s intelligence instead of blindly breaking things and harming people. What about forming some concrete, helpful ideas and taking the initiative and using one’s voice to make things better? Instead, they do the lazy thing that takes no skill or thought: destroy property, hurt people and dissuade non-violent people from engaging in peaceful protest. She ought to read about MLK or Gandhi.

  5. I am an American living in France. I understand that people are upset and have lost a lot this year; I have, too. I also know that the French government has done a lot more for people during this pandemic than the American government has. Try living in a country like the US with zero safety net. None, even during “good” times. This woman sounds like a child who doesn’t know what to do with her anger. There are constructive ways to make change happen and to use one’s intelligence instead of blindly breaking things and harming people. What about forming some concrete, helpful ideas and taking the initiative and using one’s voice to make things better? Instead, they do the lazy thing that takes no skill or thought: destroy property, hurt people and dissuade non-violent people from engaging in peaceful protest. She ought to read about MLK or Gandhi.

  6. Not to condone the actions of the “casseurs,” but until the “civilized” nations of the world find a better way to make wealth available to all, we’ll have these kinds of things in France and here in the U.S.

  7. Seriously–at 35 years old, she still has not figured out how to manage her anger?! Admits she was never politically engaged, so went straight from doing nothing to destroying things; brilliant (and typical) trajectory for the uninformed. The “reasons” given for destroying people’s personal property are beyond ignorant for many of the reasons Claire rightfully points out. And what of the owners whose closed businesses are broken into and destroyed – is that their fault for having businesses on a street where protests happen, too? This simply confirmed my worst thoughts about these groups. Nothing constructive can come from those whose only goal is destruction.

  8. Hilarious to have expats say things like “She should count herself lucky, France is much better at providing support and healthcare to its citizens than most other places!” and not wonder why that is… I thank the black blocs for their service, I’ve been demonstrating on French streets a lot, and they are my absolute heroes. Long may they continue to break windows and protect us from the police.

  9. @Eleanor, are you French? My French husband who has had the experience of being screwed over many times by the French government doesn’t condone the actions of the “Ridiculous Black Bloc” who just make life infinitely harder for the lower and middle class who are already suffering. Already it’s damn impossible to build a life in this city, and what do they do? Add more chaos to the lives of others. Have you tried filing paperwork in France, before? Then you know how damn impossible it would be for store owners to get their insurance on the damage that the BB do in a timely manner that allows them to continue to provide for their families. These are temper tantrums, period. Hate France so much? So no opportunities here? Do what my husband did: leave France and start a business elsewhere. Don’t set things on fire and put people’s lives and livelihood in danger. You know what I do when I’m depressed? I drink tea and contemplate how things could be so much worse (because, guess what, I lost my job too and you don’t see me setting fire to buildings). Really works. I recommend it.
    And by the by, if these people are your “absolute heroes” then either you’ve not read or seen the stories of true heroes like Marie Curie or Martin Luther King or Ada Lovelace or Warren Buffet. If the Black Bloc are your heroes, you’re either 17 years old and angry at your mother for not letting you stay out late, or you’ve lived a heck of an uneducated life. Find some real heroes. Grow up.

  10. @Daniela, you can see my responses above. Do what educated people, people who genuinely want a better life and don’t just want anarchy and chaos do; move elsewhere, find a job elsewhere.

  11. Good article from the Local. This Black Bloc phenomenon needs to be understood better. Innocent people are being injured during asymmetric Black Bloc confrontations with the police, in which the police have to respect the rule of law and try to do civilized crowd control while the Black Blocs can create any sort of mayhem they want and put innocent lives in danger. The Gilets Jaunes movements’ efforts were totally destroyed, by the Black Blocs (who can’t, if this lady’s story is to be understood correctly, even lay claim to any sort of political justification for their actions). From what I haIt is their seeming impunity that has led to some people saying that they are ‘agents provocateurs’, allies of some perverse government notion of how to ensure that citizen protests on the streets will always descend into gratuitous violence that works against the people who organized the demonstration. Instead of bringing in new laws, new measures, trying to protect the police and also ordinary people, the government should finally get its act together and start to identify who this minority are. Instead of having a protest degenerate because of 5 or 600 Black Blocs, everything should be done to identify them in advance and

  12. …sorry hit the wrong key. Here is how I intended to finish this comment on the article… From what I CAN SEE IT IS their seeming impunity that leads to some people saying that they are ‘agents provocateurs’, allies of some perverse government notion of how to ensure that citizen protests on the streets will always descend into gratuitous violence that works against the people who organized the demonstration. Instead of bringing in new laws, new measures, trying to protect the police and also ordinary people, the government should finally get its act together and start to identify who this minority are. Instead of having a protest degenerate because of 5 or 600 Black Blocs, everything should be done to identify them in advance and/or not let them get away after a protest. The interviewee confirms what I have come to think over the years, the only motivation these people have is nihilistic selfishness and there is no altruism in any of their acts.

  13. @Claudia Firstly, if you go back and re-read what I wrote, you’ll see I said that I DO NOT condone the actions of the black bloc lady. To me she sounds desperate. To suggest she sits down and has a cup of tea and contemplates her life, is laughable, actually quite ridiculous.
    Secondly, easier said than done to leave the country and go elsewhere if you hate it so much. You have no idea about life here, do you? You’re probably sitting in your lovely warm house, comfortable chair sipping your tea, waiting to have your dinner, all your bills paid, etc. Because if you did know about people’s hardships and their struggles, you wouldn’t be talking like this. You have no empathy, have you.
    And lastly, you immediately lose the argument when you get personal. You have no idea who I am, or what education I’ve had.
    It’s easy for the likes of you to sit behind a computer (because your electricity has been paid) mouthing away such rubbish. If anyone needs to grow up, Claudia, it’s you.

  14. @Eleanor P. I admire your courage for writing what you feel, even though I may not agree with everything you’ve said. :-))
    Thank God we live in a country with freedom of speech, so you continue saying whatever you like and don’t let people shut you down, Eleanor. Well done!

  15. @Claudia thank you for proving my point: “When I get screwed over, I make myself a cup of tea” – in short you enjoy all the rights we have but let others fight for them.

  16. @Seanin9701 I have been charged and beaten by the police for no reason and have watched a family member have his skull smashed to pieces with no provocation in word or deed. I know it’s very hard to believe, and I would not have believed it myself if I had not experienced it first hand. The police do *not* hit in retaliation, they charge and then beat innocent protesters because their orders are to scare us into not coming again. In contrast, I have watched Black Blocs protect older protesters they did not know from the viciousness of the police. No one on here seems to have a clue what they’re talking about. I acknowledge that a portion of protestors are ticked off about the violence but I think they don’t know or care that the police start it and they appear to not understand that there is no point protesting if no media reports it. And unfortunately, protestors getting beaten for no reason is ignored by the media but a small fire in a wheelie bin gets headlines.

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STRIKES

LATEST: The transport strikes that will hit passengers in Europe this summer

Inflation is pushing unions across Europe to demand new pay hikes, raising the risk of train and airplane strikes this summer. This rundown will help you plan ahead to know if your holiday plans will be affected.

LATEST: The transport strikes that will hit passengers in Europe this summer

Italy 

Italy’s unions this week announced plans for strikes in both June and July. 

On June 18th, security staff at Milan’s Malpensa Airport will strike for four hours from 11am to 3pm. 

Then on June 20th, baggage handling staff at airports all around the country will take part in a 24-hour walkout. Ground staff at a number of Italian airports, including Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, Milan Malpensa Airport and the Amerigo Vespucci Airport in Florence will also hold separate protests on the day. 

On July 15th, staff at ENAV, Italy’s main air traffic control operator, will take part in a national 24-hour strike. 

So far there are few details of which flights will be affected by these strikes, but they are very likely to cause disruption. 

Anyone travelling between Italy and the UK, should also be aware of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Florence, Rome, Milan and Venice on most weekends between mid-June and the end of August. 

READ ALSO: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2023

Spain 

On June 7th the Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (Sepla) called for strikes against Air Europa, Spain’s third largest airline, over the “confrontational attitude” of the company’s management. 

The union gave no details of exactly which days the strikes would take place in its press release, but they will happen between June 19th and July 2nd. 

Air Europa operates flights within Spain, and to destinations across Europe and the world, including Germany, France, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Switzerland.

The Sepla union also on June 6th launched a “daily indefinite strike” against Air Nostrum, the regional airline run by Iberia. The strike has forced the cancellation of 20 percent of the airlines flights and also delayed other flights. 

The strike is taking place between Monday and Friday every day of the week and there are no signs of a breakthrough in talks so far. 

People flying between Spain and the UK using either British Airways or Iberia should be aware that security staff at Heathrow airport are striking almost every weekend (and some other days as well), causing major disruption at Terminal 5 and Terminal, which are used by Iberia and British Airways. 

Flights from Edinburgh to Spain may also be affected by strikes there. 

France 

So far no big airline or air traffic control strikes have been announced by the French unions to follow on from the one-day action on June 6th that saw around 20 percent of flights in and out of France, and some flights just flying over France, cancelled. 

It’s not impossible, however, that unions will call for further action, even though turnout for the nationwide strikes over pension reform has recently been falling, making it look like the battle over pension reform may be reaching its final stages. 

The pattern so far as has been for the inter-syndicale, the federation that represents all eight French unions, to wait until one strike day is over before announcing the next, so there could well be announcements in the coming weeks. 

The summer holidays in France traditionally mark a break in mass strike actions, but they are often a time for industrial action from specific unions – especially those involved in the flight and tourist industries.

Travellers to and from France from the UK should be aware of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Paris, Toulouse, Nice, and Mulhouse airports on some dates. There is also potential for a strike at Edinburgh Airport, which could affect flights to France run by several airlines, including Air France.

Germany 

So far no strikes have been announced in Germany which will affect transport, but EVG, the union that represents workers for 50 train companies has reached a deadlock in its negotiations with Deutsche Bahn. 

The two sides are far apart, with Deutsche Bahn suggesting a 12 percent pay hike over two years, while EVG wants the same rise over 12 months.  This means there is a real risk of strikes over the summer. 

On June 2nd, the union threatened further industrial action if DB refused to come back to negotiations. “If nothing happens at the negotiating table, we have to apply pressure with #Warnstreiks,” it tweeted.

If the union does hold warning strikes before the next round of talks, they are likely to last for only a few days. 

Lufthansa pilots, who went on strike last year, in September agreed in a pay deal not to strike until June 2023, leaving the possibility of a renewed round of strikes later in the summer. 

The two main unions representing airport security workers, meanwhile, Verdi and the German Civil Service Federation, reached a pay deal on May 17th. 

Travellers to and from Germany from the UK, should be aware of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Munich, Düsseldorf, Hanover, and Berlin. Flights to Germany from Edinburgh Airport could also be affected by the strikes announced there. 

READ ALSO: When will the next set of rail strikes take place in Germany?

The United Kingdom

The UK is the county most affected by strike action this year with a busy schedule of strikes planned at London Heathrow airport, and strikes announced at Edinburgh Airport. 

The Unite union at the start of June announced a total of 31 days of strikes over the summer for security staff at Heathrow Airport outside London,  with walkouts almost every weekend from mid-June to the end of August.

The strikes will involve as many as 2,000 security officers working at both Terminal Three and Terminal Five, as well as Campus Security responsible for checking all personnel and vehicles going over to the runway side of the airport.

European travellers flying with British Airways and the Spanish flag carrier Iberia are the most likely to be affected. 

Iberia flies non-stop from Terminal 5 to Barcelona, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, and Málaga.

British Airways, meanwhile, flies non-stop from Terminal 5 to Paris, Toulouse, Nice, and Mulhouse airports in France, to Geneva and Zurich in Switzerland, to Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Munich, Düsseldorf, Hanover, and Berlin in Germany, to Copenhagen in Denmark, Gothenburg and Stockholm in Sweden, to Oslo in Norway, and to Florence, Rome, Milan and Venice in Italy

British Airways also operates some flights from Terminal 3, including to Bastia in France, Gibraltar, Naples in Italy, Billund in Denmark, Vienna in Austria, and, outside of the country’s covered by The Local, to the cities of Porto, Pristina, Pura, and Tirana. 

Other airlines based in Terminal 3, such as Virgin Atlantic. American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, and Qantas mainly offer long-haul flights outside of Europe. 

The workers will be on strike between June 24th and and 30th, and then between July 14th to July 16th, then from July 21st to July 24th, then from July 28th to 31st, and then from August 4th to 7th, 11th to 14th, 18th to 20th, and 24th to 27th.

Staff at Edinburgh Airport represented by the Unite union voted at the end of May to take strike action over pay and working conditions by an 85 percent majority but the union has yet to set dates. 

Edinburgh is the busiest airport in Scotland, with direct flights to most major cities in Europe, operated by Air France, British Airways, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, EasyJet, Iberia, Ryanair, Norwegian and SAS, among others. 

Sweden 

After major pilot strikes in the summer of 2022 and rail strikes this May, Sweden looks set for a conflict-free summer when it comes to travel into, out of, and around the country. 

Travellers to and from Sweden from the UK should be aware, though, of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Gothenburg and Stockholm on most weekends between mid-June and the end of August. 

Denmark

The ongoing dispute between unions and Naviair, the state-owned company that employs Denmark’s air traffic controllers, has yet to be fully resolved, although Naviair on May 16th issued a plan for the summer,which it says will minimise delays and disruption. 

The plan prioritises travellers and and airlines at Copenhagen Airport, meaning flights to and from Roskilde Airport are likely to be reduced. 

Flights between Copenhagen and Greenland could be affected by strikes from June 23rd after Dansk Metal, which represents mechanics working for the airline, failed to reach a pay deal on May 23rd. 

Travellers to and from Sweden from the UK should be aware of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Copenhagen on most weekends between mid-June and the end of August. 

Norway 

Travel into, out of, and around Norway looks to be unaffected by strikes this summer. 

Travellers between Norway and the UK, should be aware, however, of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Oslo on most weekends between mid-June and the end of August. Flights from Edinburgh Airport to cities in Norway may also be affected to the strikes announced there. 

Austria 

Travel into, out of, and around Austria looks to be unaffected by strikes this summer. 

Travellers between Austria from the UK, should be aware of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Vienna on most weekends between mid-June and the end of August. 

Switzerland 

There are no strike plans that The Local are aware of directly affecting Swiss airlines or rail companies, but flights to and from Switzerland were affected by the strikes by France’s air traffic controllers on June 6th, and may be affected again if those strikes resume over the summer. 

Travellers between Switzerland and the UK should be aware, though, of the security staff strikes at Heathrow Airport which will affect British Airlines flights to Geneva and Zurich on most weekends between mid-June and the end of August. 

This story will be updated as and when further strikes are announced.

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