DEJA VU: Another fashion season, another French strike.
On Thursday, angry taxi drivers overturned cars and blocked access to airports and railway stations in Paris to protest against the online ridesharing service UberPOP, which they say represents unfair competition.
The violent demonstrations affected celebrities arriving in Paris as the men’s spring shows moved into high gear. Courtney Love took to Twitter, claiming that picketers attacked her car and held her driver hostage at the airport.
“This is France? I’m safer in Baghdad,” she wrote. Her next post read: “François Hollande where are the fucking police??? is it legal for your people to attack visitors? Get your ass to the airport. Wtf???” Love said she eventually escaped on a motorcycle taxi that was chased by a mob of taxi drivers throwing rocks.
Airport authority Aeroports de Paris warned that access to Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports was blocked by road and advised passengers to use public transport. It added that agents were being deployed to make sure road accesses were safe for pedestrians.