France: Police clash with taxi drivers at anti-Uber protest in Paris

Riot police used batons and pepper spray during clashes with protesting taxi drivers in Paris, Tuesday. Hundreds of French taxi drivers had taken to the streets on Tuesday morning, blocking a motorway and burning tyres and wooden pallets, in protest against Uber's taxi ride sharing app enterprise.
Equipped with batons and shields, riot police were called to the scene after the protesting taxi drivers disrupted traffic by parking their vehicles on a main road. Black smoke could be seen rising as they set fire to tyres. At least 20 people have been arrested, according to police sources.
Uber is an American transportation network company founded in March 2009 by Travis Cordell Kalanick and headquartered in San Francisco, California.
The company allows consumers with smartphones to submit a trip request which is then routed to Uber drivers who use their own cars. The legality of Uber has been challenged by governments and taxi companies, who allege that its use of drivers who are not licensed to drive taxis renders the service unsafe and illegal. Protests have taken place on a fairly regular basis all across the world as a result.