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French Uber protests block Paris and Marseille transport France cracks down on Uber service after protests
(about 1 hour later)
French taxi drivers have blocked the roads to Paris airports and the main ring road around the city in a protest against Uber. France's interior minister has ordered a ban on the low-cost car-sharing service UberPOP after a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers.
The drivers set up blockades and burned tyres as part of a nationwide strike. Bernard Cazeneuve said the service was "illegal" and ordered police and prosecutors to enforce its closure.
Some cars were overturned and others had their windows smashed with bats. US musician Courtney Love Cobain was caught up in the unrest. His announcement followed a day of sometimes violent protests by French taxi drivers, who say the US-based firm Uber is stealing their livelihoods.
Uber, a US taxi app, has been expanding its UberPOP ride-sharing service in France despite government objections. US rock singer Courtney Cobain was caught up in the unrest.
Barriers also appeared around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence in southeast France. She tweeted her frustration, saying her taxi had been ambushed as she left the airport.
Aeroports de Paris, the operator of the French capital's Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly airports, warned passengers to travel by train. The musician shared an image of the window of her car spattered with egg, and thanking two motorcyclists she said rescued her.
"Access by road is completely blocked," the company said on its website. "The only way to get to CDG is (by train)." Key highways around Paris were blocked and tyres were burned during the day-long strike. Barriers also appeared around Marseille and Aix-en-Provence in southeast France.
With traffic at a standstill in places, some travellers walked along the side of the motorway to reach the airport. Some cars were overturned and others had their windows smashed with bats.
Courtney Love Cobain appeared to have been caught up in the violence as she rode in a taxi from the airport. Aeroports de Paris, the operator of the French capital's Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly airports, warned passengers to travel by train, saying "access by road is completely blocked."
She tweeted saying her taxi had been ambushed and protesters were "beating the cars with metal bats". She also shared an image of the window of her taxi spattered with egg. Some travellers walked along the side of the motorway to reach the airport.
She later thanked two motorcyclists who had driven her away from the protest and said that she had been scared out of her wits.
Taxi drivers also blocked access to Marseille and Aix train stations and protested on the main access to Marseilles-Provence airport.Taxi drivers also blocked access to Marseille and Aix train stations and protested on the main access to Marseilles-Provence airport.
The drivers - who have to pay thousands of euros for a licence - say they are being unfairly undercut by Uber, which is not licensed by the authorities. France's taxi drivers - who have to pay thousands of euros for a licence - say they are being unfairly undercut by UberPOP.
Prosecutors have cracked down on Uber, filing almost 500 legal cases involving complaints about UberPOP. About 100 attacks on Uber drivers and passengers have been reported in recent weeks.
"Many taxis drivers are infuriated," Abdelkader Morghad, a representative of the FTI taxi union, told Bloomberg."Many taxis drivers are infuriated," Abdelkader Morghad, a representative of the FTI taxi union, told Bloomberg.
"We're demanding that the Thevenoud law, which clearly forbids unlicensed drivers, be implemented. There's a lack of political will to do it." He said a law that forbids unlicensed drivers to carry paying passengers should be implemented.
The law, which came into force in October, bans services that put passengers in touch with unregistered drivers. Uber has appealed against the rule, arguing that it gives licensed taxis an unfair advantage. France's licensed drivers have lost between 30% and 40% of their income over two years because of the growth of UberPOP, Mr Morghad said.
According to Mr Morghad, France's licensed drivers have lost between 30% and 40% of their income over two years because of the growth of Uber. UberPOP is a car-sharing service offered by Uber, which brings together customers and private drivers at prices lower than those charged by both traditional taxi firms and even other Uber services.
The San Francisco-based firm says it has a million users in France, including 250,000 for its basic UberPOP service. Uber also operates a luxury service which is not banned. It has been illegal in France since January, but the law has proved difficult to enforce and the service continues to operate, AFP news agency reports.
Mr Cazeneuve said on Thursday that he had ordered police in Paris to issue a decree banning UberPOP and said any cars defying the order would be seized.
Uber spokesman Thomas Meister said the firm had contested the law under which UberPOP has been ruled illegal, and accused the interior minister of overriding the normal legal process.
"The way things work in a state of law is that it's for the justice to judge whether something is legal or illegal," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
San Francisco-based Uber says it has a million users in France, including 250,000 for UberPOP. Uber also operates a luxury service which is not banned.
Uber has faced similar teething problems in cities all over the world, with traditional taxi drivers protesting against being undercut by the unlicensed company.Uber has faced similar teething problems in cities all over the world, with traditional taxi drivers protesting against being undercut by the unlicensed company.
But licensed taxi drivers have been criticised for being slow to adopt the app-based geolocation technology behind Uber's success.But licensed taxi drivers have been criticised for being slow to adopt the app-based geolocation technology behind Uber's success.