Uber Managers Arrested In Paris Amidst Riots

Uber has not had a kind reception in all the cities where it operates, but France — and Paris in particular — has proven to be most unwelcoming. Recent protests became violent and led to orders for police to seize Uber cars violating the ban late last week. Now two of Uber's top managers have been arrested in Paris, and though an official confirmation of their identities has not been made, a local journalist has claimed that the arrest involved a GM and CEO.According to Stefan de Vries, a journalist in Paris, both Uber's General Manager for Europe and Uber France's CEO were taken into custody. FRANCE 24 is stating it was Thibaud Simphal and Pierre-Dimitri Gore Coty who were taken into custody.

Reports point toward both individuals being questioned in regards to the service, and in a statement Uber said that it is "happy to answer questions the authorities have about our service and look forward to resolving these issues."

Taxi drivers in the region have protested the UberPOP service in particular, which undercuts the traditional taxi drivers' rates while side-stepping the substantial fees involved with operating a taxi business. Paris taxi drivers have called UberPOP an unfair competitor, and the protests escalating recently to include tire burning, rocks being thrown, and cars being beaten with pipes.

SOURCE: Twitter