- Title: FRANCE: French fuel supplies flow as police break refinery blockade
- Date: 23rd October 2010
- Summary: GRANDPUITS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 22, 2010) (REUTERS) MOCK COFFIN ON FIRE SIGN READING "RIGHT TO STRIKE" ON BURNING COFFIN STRIKING OIL WORKERS VARIOUS OF MOCK COFFIN BURNING VARIOUS OF STRIKING OIL WORKERS UNIONISTS DECLARING "REQUISITIONED WORKERS FORCED TO WORK" VARIOUS OF REQUISITIONED WORKERS ENTERING THE REFINERY TYRES OUTSIDE FACTORY AND GRAFFITI READING "ON STRIKE" MORMAND, FRANCE (OCTOBER 22, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL TRADE UNIONISTS IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL (SOUNDBITE) (French) PATRICK BERNARDO, TRADE UNIONIST, SAYING: "We are in front of the town hall to show the French people that the protest against this reform - sorry I'm tired - it's not just at Grandpuits, it's all over France. It's in all the communities in France, the people are unhappy. The French government needs to open its ears to listen to the people here." VARIOUS OF PROTESTS IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL PEOPLE CLAPPING GRANDPUITS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 22, 2010) (REUTERS) RIOT POLICE CARS IN FRONT OF OIL REFINERY EXIT RIOT POLICE PATROLLING EXIT PETROL TANKERS LEAVING REFINERY, DRIVING PAST RIOT POLICE VARIOUS OF TOTAL PETROL TANKERS LEAVING REFINERY
- Embargoed: 7th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Domestic Politics,Energy
- Reuters ID: LVA4G9X16T0BL9GH7OG0V68HFG70
- Story Text: An effigy of a coffin, the words 'democracy' written on it, tossed on a bonfire as workers protest against what they say is the authoritarian rule of the government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a refinery outside Paris. Fuelled up tankers, meanwhile, leave the plant under the guard of French riot police.
An effigy of a coffin, the words 'right to strike' written on it, was tossed on a bonfire on Friday (October 22) as workers protested against what they say call the authoritarian rule of the government of French President Nicolas Sarkozy at a refinery outside Paris.
Fuelled up tankers, meanwhile, left the key Grandpuits refinery plant under the guard of French riot police.
Oil strikers from Grandpuits joined a demonstration in a nearby city to show that they are not isolated in their fight.
"We are in front of the town hall to show the French people that the protest against this reform - sorry I'm tired - it's not just at Grandpuits, it's all over France. It's in all the communities in France, the people are unhappy. The French government needs to open its ears to listen to the people here."
Police earlier cleared access to the Grandpuits refinery as unions hardened their stance ahead of a final vote on President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reform expected later in the day.
Local media reported that three people had been injured while police scuffled with the strikers during the process. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
