Travel in France has come nearly to a standstill as protests and strikes have halted the delivery of fuel to gas stations and airport fueling stations
Sunday, a warning came from the French interior minister about the possibility of an al-Qaeda attack. Additionally, government workers are on strike, with the French oil industry workers blocking access to refineries. This makes traveling in France right now less than desirable.
The latest terror alert shows that there is a new threat from al-Qaeda against Europe. More specifically against France, said Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux on Sunday.
The minister said, “We must not overestimate the threat or underestimate it. We are directly concerned.”
They have added more security at all tourist sites like the Eifel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The strike and protesting is a result of the French government saying they want to raise the retirement age from the 60 to 62 years old.
The protests are affecting travel as the oil industry workers are blocking access to the refineries. The airlines are having to cut back on their schedules as there is no fuel to continue with flights. Once you land at the airport, hailing a taxi is almost impossible as many gas stations are either out or running low on fuel. CNN reports that nearly 1,000 gas stations have run out of fuel.
Even French truckers staged a protest overnight and conducted a “go slow” on the motorways protest as well near Lyon, Paris and Lille.
