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Protest againt Uber: French taxis on strike

Paris, France - Paris police have fired tear gas on taxi drivers trying to march onto a major highway, amid nationwide French strikes and protests over working conditions and competition from non-traditional services such as Uber.

Hundreds of French taxis, joined by a few from Belgium and Spain, are blocking a massive intersection leading into western Paris, causing disruption throughout surrounding avenues.

Unfair competition

Dozens of taxi drivers tried to march from the Porte Maillot intersection onto an eight-lane bypass, but police pushed them back with tear gas. Some drivers set pre-dawn bonfires put out by firefighters Tuesday (January 26 2016) morning.

Traditional taxi drivers are protesting what they consider unfair competition from Uber, which has faced a string of legal challenges in France.

Previous protests have also turned violent.

Instagram user @ju_cpaiva posted this video from TV and said: "Guess what ?! Strike , of course! And taxi drivers . They are against all applications as the über and the authorization given by the government to the movement of such cars. Just remember MISSING taxis in Paris and the taxi service here sucks. Almost all my experiences with taxi drivers are bad here. A tip for those coming ; hire a transfer before your arrival or an über ."

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