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| Uber row in France: President Hollande condemns low-cost firm after violent taxi driver protests in Paris | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| French president Francois Hollande has waded into the row over controversial taxi service after violent protests break out across the country. | |
| Speaking at the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, he called for Uber's “dissolution” and the seizure of its "illegal"cars. | |
| He said the company was an example of "unfair competition" and said: "“Non-compliance with tax and competition rules is illegal. UberPop should be dissolved and branded illegal and cars should be seized", according to the FT. | |
| There were reports by the BBC of cars overturned with windows smashed in by baseball bats. | There were reports by the BBC of cars overturned with windows smashed in by baseball bats. |
| Hollande also condemned the rioting taxi drivers saying their actions were a stain on France and "inexcusable". | |
| The country's interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced a ban on the company’s online server, UberPOP, which connects drivers with customers and called on prosecutors and police to do more to crack down on the service. | |
| The service was officially banned back in January but has proved difficult to enforce and the law has been frequently flouted according to the AFP news agency. | The service was officially banned back in January but has proved difficult to enforce and the law has been frequently flouted according to the AFP news agency. |
| The minister denounced Uber for failing to respect French law and said the service was “illegal”. | The minister denounced Uber for failing to respect French law and said the service was “illegal”. |
| He said: “The government will never accept the law of the jungle. It must, therefore, be closed.” | He said: “The government will never accept the law of the jungle. It must, therefore, be closed.” |
| He has called a meeting with anti-fraud officials for Monday to enforce the ban. | He has called a meeting with anti-fraud officials for Monday to enforce the ban. |
| Singer Courtney Love was caught up in the chaos and tweeted: | Singer Courtney Love was caught up in the chaos and tweeted: |
| they've ambushed our car and are holding our driver hostage. they're beating the cars with metal bats. this is France?? I'm safer in Baghdad | they've ambushed our car and are holding our driver hostage. they're beating the cars with metal bats. this is France?? I'm safer in Baghdad |
| paid some guys on motorcycles to sneak us out, got chased by a mob of taxi drivers who threw rocks, passed two police and they did nothing | paid some guys on motorcycles to sneak us out, got chased by a mob of taxi drivers who threw rocks, passed two police and they did nothing |
| Taxi drivers, who pay €240,000 (£170,000) for a Paris private hire licence, have lost between 30 and 40 per cent of their income over the past two years, Abdelkader Morghad, a representative of the FTI taxi union, told Bloomberg. | Taxi drivers, who pay €240,000 (£170,000) for a Paris private hire licence, have lost between 30 and 40 per cent of their income over the past two years, Abdelkader Morghad, a representative of the FTI taxi union, told Bloomberg. |
| He said: “Many taxis drivers are infuriated. 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: “Many taxis drivers are infuriated. We’re demanding that the Thevenoud law, which clearly forbids unlicensed drivers, be implemented. There’s a lack of political will to do it.” |
| But a spokesman for Uber, Thomas Meister, said: “"There are people who are willing to do anything to stop any competition. We are only the symptom of a badly organised market.” | But a spokesman for Uber, Thomas Meister, said: “"There are people who are willing to do anything to stop any competition. We are only the symptom of a badly organised market.” |
| Additional reporting by the Associated Press | Additional reporting by the Associated Press |