France: Smoke inhalation leaves passengers needing treatment
Riot police in Paris fired smoke bombs into one of the main terminals at Orly airport to stop Air Lib staff from making a protest on a runway.
As reported by News From Abroad, the airline was grounded last week after the French government said it would no longer subsidise the business. Yesterday’s clashes came after Air Lib workers marched from their headquarters to the airport and demonstrated inside the airport’s western terminal. They were forced out by riot police but continued to protest outside.
A number of passengers were given medical treatment after inhaling smoke from the bombs, but nobody was seriously hurt.
Traffic in and out of the airport was severely delayed by a separate protest when workers blocked the main N7 motorway that serves the airport. Workers at the airline have vowed to carry out more demonstrations in an effort to save their jobs.
