Protesting Parisian Taxi Drivers Use Fire to Once Again Protest Uber
Paris taxi drivers have once again taken to the streets in an effort to protest Uber
Well, they always say you need to fight fire with fire…
But I’m guessing whoever “they” is didn’t expect Parisian taxi drivers to take that quite so literally.
For the second time in the past six months, angry taxi drivers have taken to the streets of Paris, blocking a large road in the heart of the city to protest ride-sharing apps like Uber.
According to BBC, the taxi drivers banded together with millions of other French public sector workers to protest labor reforms. In total, at least 20 local taxi drivers were arrested for their involvement in the protest.
This is disturbingly similar to the protests that occurred in June.
Police claim that the taxi drivers were carrying weapons and started a fire in the middle of an eight-lane road. Tear gas was deployed to control them.
VIDEO: Watch the Protest Action Here
These taxi drivers were merely a few of the 1,200 other members of Paris’s taxi service to protest across Paris, Lille, Marseilles, and Toulouse.
A spokesman for French taxi drivers named Rachid Boudjema claims Uber drivers, “vandalize professionals who are paying taxes, who respect the rules.”
Throughout the world, many professional taxi drivers are vexed due to Uber’s lack of licensing. In fact, London is even considering reducing its black cab knowledge requirements just to compete with Uber. It will be interesting to see if this Parisian protest will have any effect.
News Source: BBC
A born-and-raised Jersey girl, Caitlin Moran has somehow found herself settled in Edinburgh, Scotland. When she’s not spending her days trying to remember which side of the road to drive on, Caitlin enjoys getting down and nerdy with English. She continues to combine her love of writing with her love of cars for The News Wheel, while also learning more about the European car market—including the fact that the Seat brand is pronounced “se-at” not “seat” as you might think. See more articles by Caitlin.