Protesters Throughout France Assail Pollution
PARIS — Roller skaters, bicyclists and pedestrians rallied Saturday in major cities to protest France’s worsening air pollution, blaming the problem on people’s reliance on cars.
Automobiles, buses and trucks create most of the fumes that generate smog and cause health problems in France’s major urban centers. According to recent reports, air pollution kills at least 350 people a year in Paris alone.
“It’s the fault of people who use their cars too much,” said Lyne Rossi, one of about 750 cyclists with surgical masks who gathered on Paris’ Place de la Bastille for a protest.
Similar demonstrations drew hundreds of protesters in cities including Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice, Rouen and Toulouse.
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