Rubbish piles up on streets of Paris as strikers kick up stink
The flood waters might be receding but the rubbish is piling up on the streets of Paris.
Two days before the start of Euro 2016 in France, rubbish piled up in parts of Paris on Wednesday and trains were disrupted as strikes and political turmoil over labour reforms dragged on.
Organisers of Europe's four-yearly football extravaganza already face security jitters and Britain joined the United States in warning the tournament could be a target for terror attacks.
But the immediate concern was unresolved strikes, with union blockades of incineration centres in the Paris region causing widespread disruption.
The arrondissements affected are the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th, and 20th, the City Hall said.
It's understood that four of six rubbish tips that serve the capital were blockades on Wednesday, up from three on Tuesday.
The piles of uncollected household rubbish accumulating in parts of the capital, giving off a foul smell as the temperatures rise, was hardly the image of France that the Euro 2016 organisers want to convey.
Rubbish piles up on Rue Reamur in Paris as the result of more strikes @TheLocalFrance pic.twitter.com/G9DT9bytJx
— Marianna Spring (@mariannaspring) June 8, 2016
The owner of the clothes shop Suzanna, pictured above, told The Local that the piled up rubbish was "horrible".
"It just adds to the terrible image of France in the press at the moment," she said.
"People think there's a war going on here with the protests. It affects the number of customers coming into my shop, as does everything else happening in France that has scared tourists from visiting. No-one wants to come to France and especially Paris at the moment."
While some of the rubbish was being carted away on Wednesday afternoon (see tweet below), it continues to pile up across Paris and in Saint-Etienne, the central city which will host four Euro 2016 matches, as well as Marseille.
Rubbish is finally collected on Rue des Petits Carreaux @TheLocalFrance pic.twitter.com/mXzivClNgI
— Marianna Spring (@mariannaspring) June 8, 2016
The rubbish has left some tourists turning up their noses, including Brian, an American from New York visiting Paris.
"It's such a shame as the bins are ruining beautiful streets," he told The Local.
"I am trying to choose where to have lunch according to where I don't have to sit by a pile of trash. It seems all bad news for Paris at the moment."
(AFP)
Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in the second arrondissement. Photo: Lina Nordin
Photo: Lina Nordin
Photo: The Local
Rubbish accumulates on the (usually) picturesque Rue Réamur pic.twitter.com/3CpKxSsALe
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) June 8, 2016
Additional reporting by Marianna Spring
Comments
See Also
Two days before the start of Euro 2016 in France, rubbish piled up in parts of Paris on Wednesday and trains were disrupted as strikes and political turmoil over labour reforms dragged on.
Organisers of Europe's four-yearly football extravaganza already face security jitters and Britain joined the United States in warning the tournament could be a target for terror attacks.
But the immediate concern was unresolved strikes, with union blockades of incineration centres in the Paris region causing widespread disruption.
The arrondissements affected are the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th, and 20th, the City Hall said.
It's understood that four of six rubbish tips that serve the capital were blockades on Wednesday, up from three on Tuesday.
The piles of uncollected household rubbish accumulating in parts of the capital, giving off a foul smell as the temperatures rise, was hardly the image of France that the Euro 2016 organisers want to convey.
Rubbish piles up on Rue Reamur in Paris as the result of more strikes @TheLocalFrance pic.twitter.com/G9DT9bytJx
— Marianna Spring (@mariannaspring) June 8, 2016
Rubbish is finally collected on Rue des Petits Carreaux @TheLocalFrance pic.twitter.com/mXzivClNgI
— Marianna Spring (@mariannaspring) June 8, 2016
The rubbish has left some tourists turning up their noses, including Brian, an American from New York visiting Paris.
(AFP)
Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in the second arrondissement. Photo: Lina Nordin
Photo: Lina NordinPhoto: The Local
Rubbish accumulates on the (usually) picturesque Rue Réamur pic.twitter.com/3CpKxSsALe
— The Local France (@TheLocalFrance) June 8, 2016
Additional reporting by Marianna Spring
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.